Matthew 25:40 “"And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'”
When I was a kid, I loved to read stories about superheroes. People that could jump over buildings… or melt steel with their eyes… or climb walls. I dreamed that one day I would have superpowers just like they did… but that never happened. As I was reading the other day I ran across a story about a man that didn’t have “super” powers… but he’s a hero nonetheless…
“Steve Weidner, a custodian at Alan Shepard Elementary School in Bourbonnais, Illinois, said it made him feel great to see that each and every second grade student lined up near the playground in hopes to have him autograph their yearbooks. …
Last week, Weidner said he signed all 104 of the second graders' yearbooks after lunch -- in addition to 200 more from other classes. …”
Why did the custodian sign hundreds of yearbooks? Why was Steve Weidner’s signature so high in demand around the school? Was he a former TV star? An athlete? Friends with the ice cream man? No. Steve’s claim to fame didn’t come in the form you’d expect…
Steve was famous to the children because he cared. When they hurt, he’d help them. When they needed an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on, he was available. He assisted with homework, cleaned up their messes, talked with parents, played games, and anything else you could think of that would help an elementary school-aged child get through their day-to-day.
Steve was not a Pastor… or a principal… or a parent to any of those children.
He didn’t have to be.
He was just someone with a heart to help.
Steve loved people. God’s people. Young or old, He saw the value in God’s precious creations… and dedicated himself to serving them.
Wherever you are today… be that person. Rise above the disinterested and show God’s love, mercy, and heart to those around you that need it. Help those that can offer you nothing in return. Stop and pray with those that look like they need it. Like today’s verse tells us, God calls us to serve others and when we do so, we are really serving Him.
Today you can change the world. And it starts with changing your home. Or your office. Or your classroom. Be kind. Choose love. Be compassionate with challenging family. Extend an open hand instead of a closed fist to the needy. Turn the other cheek. Again. Forgive those that haven’t asked for it or deserve it. Be patient.
Your reward? You may not be signing a bunch of elementary school yearbooks… but you’ll be leaving indelible marks on the hearts of those that don’t think there are any Godly people left in this world… and honoring God in the process.
(quote above originally posted in Yahoo! News via Good Morning America, June 8, 2015)
