Once upon a time there was a beach ball who lost its way. It lay on the side of the road, neglected, with no one to help it find its way to the beach or maybe to a nearby swimming pool.

One person came walking by and saw it and thought about how nice and bright its colors were. She even wondered why it was there and who it belonged to.

A gentle breeze blew the ball into the middle of the road. There it could enjoy the warmth of the sunshine, just as it might at the beach. But danger lurked if a car came down the street.

A burst of wind came along and blew it to the other side of the road where it landed behind a parked car. The owners of the car came out, got in the car and drove away, totally ignoring the little ball, even leaving it in the shadows.

Eventually the wind carried it out of the shadows, across the road to a grassy spot near a mailbox. Oh, but wait! This is the house where I belong, ‘thought’ the beach ball. Soon the little one who loves to play with me will come and take me back to the pool. And it was so happy!

This little story came to me as I was walking one day. It reminded me of a parable told by Jesus that is called the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37 NLT). How often we see people in need along our way and ignore them. We may even notice how they look on the outside. Some may be obviously needy by the way they look, but most needs cannot be discerned by what we see at a glance.

Maybe we can’t meet their needs in the same way the Samaritan did, but we can try to be more aware of those we encounter. Sometimes a smile or a listening ear can be a great encouragement. Or if you are prompted (by the Holy Spirit) to do more, don’t let the opportunity pass you by. You will be the one who is blessed!

³⁶ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

³⁷ The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” (Luke 10:36-37 NLT)