Sometimes the things we do or say to others can be the difference between them having a bad day or a great day, even between living and dying. This was the case for a young boy who lay in a hospital bed dying from severe burns to his body.
Because this boy was confined to the hospital, a service that provided teachers to help children stay up in their schooling sent him a teacher. When the teacher received the call, she went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.” When she left she felt she hadn’t accomplished much. But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?” The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. “No, no,” said the nurse, “you don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back, responding to treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live.”
Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”
Whether we think about it or not, everything we say and do affects others around us. Sometimes they may be the difference between making someone’s day, or ruining it. In the case of this young man, it was the difference between living and giving up hope. The Bible says “Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad. 26The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” – Proverbs 12:25, 26.
The next time you talk to someone, even if it is in passing, remember, your words and actions could be life changing. Take the time to make a difference.
Would you like to know more? Call us at 425-432-0634, or contact us at www.taylorcreekchurch.org. You can join us each Sunday 9 AM for Sunday School, and 10:15 AM for Worship. We are located at: 21110 244th Ave. S.E., Maple Valley.
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