Sarah Grace Thompson (Texas, USA)
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. - Proverbs 3:27 (NRSVUE)
As my dermatologist examined my scalp, she made a surprising statement: “Hairdressers save lives, you know!” She explained, “It’s easier to see the scalp when your hair is wet. I’ve had patients come in because their stylist found something while shampooing their hair, and it turned out to be cancer.”
Medical providers are the ones we expect to help us, but my doctor was crediting a few eagle-eyed hairstylists with saving her patients’ lives — and rightly so! Looking for skin cancer isn’t part of a hairstylist’s job, but their profession gives them a special opportunity to notice things and show care by saying something.
We all have the capacity to serve others, no matter our profession. By God’s grace, serving well — and even saving lives — is within our power. But it’s easy to miss an opportunity to help others. Routines and relationships become so familiar that we might not notice a friend’s downcast mood, let alone the suffering of a stranger or the broader problems in our world. If we do notice, we may decide it’s none of our business, doubting or withholding our power to do good. But every day God gives us the chance to be Jesus’ hands and feet. When we come upon these opportunities, may we have the confidence and compassion to act on them.
Today I will pay attention to opportunities to serve others.
People with skin cancer
Respond by posting a prayer.
Loading more...
