A Friend of Souls....

A FRIEND OF SOULS
There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the peace of their self-content;
There are souls, like stars, that dwell apart
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths
Where highways never ran;
But let me live by the side of the road,
And be a friend to man.
- Samuel Walter Foss’

I want to be a friend of souls. I want to stand by the side of the road, waiting for weary travelers, in places where the ragged people go. I want to look for those who have been battered and wronged by others, who carry the dreary burden of a wounded and disillusioned heart.
I want to nourish and refresh them with bread and wine and send them on their way with a benediction. I cannot “fix” those who pass my way, though I may want to; but I can love them and listen to their hearts. I can pray with them, I can share a word of Scripture with them when it’s appropriate. I can sing “sustaining songs”, and I can leave them with a blessing.
A blessing is more than a polite response to a sneeze. We bless others when we bring them to the One who is the source of all blessing. To bless is to bestow something that promotes or contributes to another’s happiness, well being, or prosperity.
I cannot help the helpless, but I can love them, and bring them to the throne of Grace to find help in time of need.
- David Roper –

God wastes nothing, not even our failure. He discerns the possibilities in every human debacle and uses them to make us better leaders than we ever thought possible.
God’s ways are not our ways. We equate leadership with lordship; He equates it with servant-hood. We seek power so we can set things right; He strips us of importance so He can do a better job. We want strength so we can help God get on with His work; He weakens us and reveals our ineptitude so He can get us out of the way. We advertise our credentials so others can be sure of us; He lets our assets fail us so others see that apart from God, we can do nothing.