Who Cares?

I don't care how much money you have.  I don't care how big your house is.  I don't care if your clothes are the most fashionable or aren't.  I don't care what precious gems you own, or what ones you don't.  I don't care what kind of car you drive or if you even own a car.  I don't care what restaurants you dine at or what wine, beer, or liquor you indulge yourself in.  I don't care how much or how little you travel. I don't care where you travel or the method by which you choose to travel.

I don't care who you know or who you don't know.  I don't care if you think you are all that and a box of chocolates.  I don't care what church you attend and whether it's small, medium, or large.  I don't care if you volunteer.  I don't care what job you have.  I don't care what position you hold on the PTA or on your kid's Little League team.  I don't care if you have stocks, bonds, or mutual funds.

I don't care how many book clubs you attend or tea parties you are invited to.  I don't care if you donate your used items to charity, or sell them in a garage sale or on Craigslist.  I don't care if your yard is meticulously landscaped by a renowned landscape architect or if it isn't landscaped and is mowed haphazardly by a teenager.

I don't care if you have the latest technology.  I don't care if your kids have the latest technology or a college savings plan. I don't care what size your television is.  I don't care if you've seen all the latest movies at the movie theater, plays at the performance hall, or symphonies conducted on a lush lawn under the stars.  I don't care what sporting events you attend or the bars you party at.

I don't care if you've had plastic surgery, Botox and collagen injections, or the latest facial.  I don't care if you have weekly mani-pedis.   I don't care if you eat off of china and drink out of crystal and I don't care if you eat off of paper plates and drink out of Solo cups.

I don't care if you own rental or vacation properties.  I don't care if you own your own island, an office building, a farm or a ranch.  I don't care what area of town you live in or the school your children attend.

I.DON'T.CARE. about any of that STUFF.

What I do care about are the words and attitude that come out of your mouth.  I care about the words you write for the world to see and the context in which you write them.  I care about the way you treat people and the courtesy you show others.

I care whether you honor yourself, your family, and others through your actions.  I care whether you choose to put people before things.  I care whether you enjoy lifting people up.  I care whether you have enough respect for yourself and others to acknowledge your faults, mistakes, and shortcomings.  I care whether you truly give with your heart. 

 

I care whether you are more prepared to love than to hate.  I care whether you are sad or happy. I care if you are experiencing pain or hardship. I care whether there is something I can say or do to help you. I care whether there is something you can say or do to help others.

I care whether you are willing to stand up and help those who can't help themselves.  I care whether you are willing to be around people who just need someone to show they care.  I care whether what is on the outside is a direct reflection of what is on the inside. I care about Y.O.U., not your stuff, not your facade, not the empire you've built or the things you have or have not accumulated. 

Maybe, just maybe, if I care about you in this manner, you will care about someone else and show them the same love, honor and respect I show you.  Maybe this ever so simple act of caring will help not only those you have touched personally, but people you don't even know.  Maybe this society which has developed an attitude of "What about me", with a little bit of caring, can be turned around to have an attitude of "What about Y.O.U.".  Maybe.........

Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."

Christie Bielss

Looking for the Helpers

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”  To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world." A quote by Fred Rogers, aka Mister Rogers.

When I was growing up, my parents always told us something similar: "There is good in every situation.  Sometimes you have to dig a bit deeper and look a bit harder for it, but there will be good."

The events of this week have been mind-boggling.  Every day has had an event occur which is so horrific, it has knocked me off-kilter and made me question where mankind is headed.  And then I see or hear about "the helpers" and my faith is restored.  I think we all could use some "helper" stories.

Monday I sat and watched the Boston Marathon bombing as it unfolded on the news.  The chaos and horror before my eyes was surreal.  I watched as the news camera was showing people running away from the bombed areas to safety and saw the look of panic and fear on their faces...... and I felt helpless.  I live across the country from Boston, so there was nothing I could do to help at that moment.  

Within seconds of seeing people fleeing the area, I then saw people running toward the injured.  They were like fish trying to swim upstream as they negotiated their way through the crowds of people running away.  But, by the looks on their faces, they were determined to help those who needed it so desperately.  A lump developed in my throat and my heart jumped as I shouted "THERE THEY ARE!  There are "The Helpers"!  These "helpers" started grabbing the temporary fencing that had been used to block off the sidewalk from the runners and were flinging it aside to get to the injured people trapped underneath it.  Men were taking off their shirts to use as gauze and whipping off their belts to use as tourniquets.  Others were quickly carrying, or racing wheelchairs loaded with injured people to ambulances and a triage area.  With little thought to their own safety, these people went back time after time to the affected area.

And just when you think the horror is over, a fertilizer plant in West, Texas explodes with enough force to register as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake and level part of a community.  Scores were injured and an unknown number were killed.  As my mind tried to wrap itself around this latest event, my heart leapt when I saw scores of communities from all over the state immediately send fire, police, EMT's, Careflight helicopters, and many others to assist this community.  There are "the helpers"!  A call went out that everyday items were needed to assist these families who had lost everything.  Within a few short hours, West was inundated with every item they'd requested from people around the state who had dropped everything they were doing, hopped in their vehicles, and immediately delivered it to this devastated community.  These are "the helpers".

As I sat down last night to watch the evening news, they showed a clip of the Boston Bruin's game as they were performing their opening ceremony for the first time since the bombing.  The National Anthem was being performed and all of the fans, players, and coaches were singing their hearts out.  It was one of the most powerful and patriotic versions I have ever heard.  If you haven't heard it, or you've only heard a small clip, then here is a link to the posting on youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzMsagY7oRs.  They too are "the helpers".

If you know of more "Helper" stories, share them.  Help others find the good.  We all need help sometimes finding "the good" and "the helpers".  By sharing more of the good, you then become one of "the helpers", and we can all use some good.

by: Christie Bielss