Today I took a meal to a family who lost a loved one on Monday. I didn't know the man who passed away. I've never met his family. At least not until today. His wife and I crossed paths for a few moments as paper bags of food changed hands over the threshold of their home. A simple greeting, a thank you, a blessing, and a condolence were the only words we spoke . . . the only words we likely ever will. But in that brief moment, I felt God's hand. He was the connection linking together two strangers.
Several years ago, I learned that when you're struggling with life, feeling lost or disconnected with God, the quickest way to heal yourself is to help someone else. It's the Golden Rule, it's the Beatitudes, it's Corporal Works of Mercy, it's social justice in action. It's the work we were created to do. I felt God's hand today because I was God's hand today. "Comfort those who mourn." And don't be surprised if you find your own heart healed in the process.
