Today’s Verse—Zechariah 7:9
This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Administer true
justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.” (NIV)
Sara Tucholsky had played softball for years, and yet she never hit a home run. That is until the day her Western Oregon University Wolves battled Central Washington. But as the ball cleared the fence and Sara began rounding the bases, she collapsed with a knee injury. It hurt so bad she couldn’t move. She needed to touch all of the bases for her home run to count, and the rules said she’d be called out if her teammates helped her.
The Central Washington players could have seen this as a lucky break. But they didn’t. Instead, first baseman Mallory Holtman asked the umpire if the rules prevented her team from helping Sara around the bases. Nope.
So that’s what they did. “In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much,” Holtman said. “It was about this girl. She hit [the ball] over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run.”
We need to have compassion for hurting people. That includes strangers, rivals, and even our enemies (see Luke 6:27). Mallory and her teammates understood that. As softball players themselves, they realized how it must have felt to be in Sara’s shoes . . . um, cleats. Suppose your friend’s favorite pet just died. Should you say . . .
1. “I’m really sorry. Are your parents thinking about getting another one?”
2. “Let’s go shoot baskets to take your mind off it.”
Connie’s Corner
Once I thought I’d lost someone close to me. It really hurt. I just felt like sleeping until God made the world right again. Wooton was so sweet. He knew I needed a distraction, so he took me to the fair, where we played laser tag, ate funnel cake, and rode rides that nearly made us sick. My life has been a roller coaster ever since, but I’ll never forget how Wooton tried to make me feel better.
3. “I know how you feel. I lost a dog once, and it still hurts.”
4. Nothing. Just listen and maybe share a hug.
The truth is, any of those could be appropriate . . . or not. It all depends on what your friend needs to hear. And that takes sensitivity. God can help you serve hurting people in any number of ways. The challenge is knowing what they really need at any moment.
Daily Challenge
What Mallory Holtman and her teammates did for Sara was a touching act of sportsmanship. Search for “Sara Tucholsky” on YouTube and ask your parents to watch the video with you. Do you know someone who’s hurting? How can you be compassionate?
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Serving Others Theme Memory Verse—Matthew 25:40
[Jesus said,] “Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”