Lesson From a Reader by Rose McCormick Brandon

Joan Sepp

A man dropped in to read my articles on Joan Sepp. His reason for visiting was the death of Joan’s husband, Toivo. (Joan passed away a few years ago.) He left this comment – “I had a hard childhood and was often upset when I delivered the newspaper (to the Sepp home). On the days when I was most alone, one of them often met me at the door and chatted with me. I can't even count the number of times I didn't do something rash because these strong people had taken time to speak with me. Whether it was ten seconds, or ten minutes, it didn't matter. They were good people who were tested by tragedy.”

This caused me to think about the invisible people who cross our paths each day. They serve us in restaurants, grocery stores and banks. They deliver mail, parcels, newspapers and fliers, fill our gas tanks, pour our coffee, clean our messes and repair our stuff. They take our complaints, reduce our phone bills, ask us to please subscribe to their magazine, offer us deals on this and that, tempt us to buy chocolate bars and cookies. Mostly, they are front-line people who serve. They don’t control their product. But, often we act like they do.

Jesus was always mindful of individuals whether he found them in the synagogue, begging on the street, fetching water, tending sheep, fishing or collecting taxes. He connected with the person behind the job. Because of His personal approach, lives changed, miracles happened, eternity erased the temporary. 

People mattered to Jesus; they weren’t invisible.

This reader’s comment has reminded me that it really matters how I treat people, whether I meet them face to face, on-line or talk to them on the phone.

I have pledged to be kinder. If a busy man like Jesus always found time for people, can’t I do the same?

Joan and Toivo Sepp lost two children to murder. They suffered many dark days, yet they took time to notice and talk to a lonely paper boy. Their noticing made a difference in his life. “After everything that happened to them,” my reader says, “they still had time for a chubby autistic kid delivering the paper.”

Jesus of Nazareth went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts. 10:38

Making it Personal: Lord, forgive me for not following your example of showing kindness to every human being who crosses my path. Make me alert and mindful to do better. 

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Rose McCormick Brandon writes about personal experiences, her faith and the children who came to Canada as immigrants, the British Home Children. She contributes to publications in Canada, the U.S. and Australia and is the author of Promises of Home - Stories of Canada's British Home Children and One Good Word Makes all the Difference. Find her faith writings at her blog, Listening to my Hair Grow. Visit her website at http://writingfromtheheart.webs.com