Let's Get On With It!

How time flies! The holidays are over and we are well into the second month of the new year. People have gone back to work, children have gone back to school and the rest of us have returned to our normal routine. So what next?

I have always been taught that time is precious and should be put to good use every day. Helping others, as Mum often says, is a good way to spend our time. It will not only gladden our hearts but will also make us feel that our lives have been worthwhile.

This brings to mind our trip to India a few years ago. Our group was keen to give food to the poor and with the help of the locals, we were led to a place a few miles from the ashram where we were staying. Here we found a number of families living in makeshift camps in what we fortunate ones would call "abominable" conditions. The whole place was nothing but sand and rocks - no trees, no shrubs, not even a little stream. So you can imagine how hot it could be in the daytime or how cold at night, for that matter.

When we arrived with our packets of food, we were swamped by these people, each one trying to make sure he was not left out. Goodness knows how long since they had a decent meal! We were then led to some alleys and side streets where a number of beggars, some very old and sick, were sitting or lying by the side of the road. They too must not have eaten for days!

On another occasion, we visited a couple of small schools deep in the country. The so-called classrooms had hardly any facilities - sometimes it was just a blackboard and a table and chair for the teacher. All the children sat on the hard, stone floor - no fans, no airconditioners. They were shy but well behaved and you should have seen the way their little faces lighted up when we distributed exercise books, pencils, ball pens and erasers. They were only simple gifts but to them, it was like they had received silver and gold! I left wishing I could have done more for these sweet and innocent children.

Poverty is widespread in India and this kind of scenario is what you get to see when you go there. But you need not go all the way to India to do service. You can participate in local service programmes and if you don't have a chance to take part in big schemes, little acts of love and kindness also count. Helping an old lady cross the road, feeding a hungry stray dog, comforting the sick - all these are small and humble acts which will earn you God's grace!

So let's get on with it. Let's not wait until the festive season to be kind or generous. Do what we can - now!