You were more than enough for the moment

by
Chaplain Kathie
Reading what Papa Roy had to say today is like a frying pan smack on my head from God. Insignificant pretty much sums up the way I feel all the time, but you'd also have to add in inadequate as well.

It doesn't matter how many times I hear that I am helping a lot of veterans or saved a life, because I keep thinking about all the others I never come into contact with and the veterans I am just unable to reach for whatever reason. I want to help all of them, help all the families, help all the troops, help all the homeless veterans find a place to live and help everyone else, but I can't. Whatever I'm able to do, in whatever small way, is never good enough, important enough, fast enough. Because I argue with God so much, once in a while He'll hit me over the head with some common sense and this is one of those days.

Daily reminder from Papa Roy

Good morning, Friends! Blessings to you.

Laying aside every weight


In a universe so incomparably vast, in a world so marvelously diverse, we can be paralyzed by our presumed insignificance and impotence in the face of such staggering enormity. But in moments of simple faith, we can be calmed by our reverence and dependence upon the Creator and Sustainer of such wonders. We can find great comfort that our lives are in his hands. We can rejoice that he has promised to bless and guide our efforts in him. (Phil Ware)

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Each day is a gift

"Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank. I am still depositing." (Cecil Thompson)

In God we trust: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8))

Papa Roy

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Over the years I've learned a lot of things about our veterans and the men and women we count on everyday right here in this country. Firemen can't save every home, but think about what it would be like if they didn't save any. Police officers can't catch every criminal or save every life, but think about what it would be like if they were not willing to try. I think you're getting the point here.

The troops train to do their jobs, get their blood boiling as adrenaline pumps through every ounce of their body to swing into action. When one of them dies, most of them will be left wondering what was the point of them being there if they could not save the life of their friend. Some with deep compassion will take the blame into their hearts and carry that weight the rest of their lives.

What's the point when the outcome was the same? What good does it do to feel when you walk away with so much pain?

If they were not there, the outcome would have been different because they would not be there caring, feeling, praying and comforting others.

If they did not have compassion within them, they would not be able to show that God was there in the moments of the darkest terror because they had compassion within them.

The pain they carry weighs them down because they do not understand where it comes from or why they feel so much pain while others seem to be able to just walk away.

They do not see that this happens in every aspect of their own lives when some will walk by someone else in need while they rush to help. Someone will drive around a car crash while they rush to it to help strangers. Someone will refuse to help anyone while they seem to be the first to stand in line offering whatever they have to share or donate.

They cannot do it all or do it perfectly every time. These are the times that try their souls and shatter their faith. They look at what they were not able to do instead of seeing what they were able to do because their compassion cannot allow anyone to suffer while they are standing by.

The problem is they forget that Christ Himself did not heal every lame person, every sick person, feed every hungry mouth, calm every stormy soul. He asked that those who followed Him did their part. He asked that everyone hearing His voice find the compassion within them to help the others waiting for help.

While we may all want to do it all, all the time, we cannot, but because we did try, did feel, did act, we were able to do our part, no matter how insignificant it seems to be to us, no matter how many we did not help, the fact is, we helped some.

The people we manage to help or save, may end up doing the same for someone else or may end up being changed for the better because a stranger helped them. We don't know what happens after we leave where we were needed but what we can do is trust that things ended up differently because we tried. Maybe one act of kindness offered to a stranger will be remembered years from now and they will do something differently because we cared? Who knows? We need to take comfort that God sends us to where we are needed if we follow where He leads us and stop not being satisfied with whatever small part we were supposed to do. We cannot see the big picture but He surely can.