eudaemonic- (adj.) producing happiness and well-being

Friday, June 15, 2007

I had a rough day... the worst of it came at the end of this story I'm getting ready to tell you:

There has been another dead body in my week. The remains of a human found over Labor Day weekend 2006 were identified as an Athens woman missing for about a year. There are whispers filling the air that, perhaps, a former J'ville policeman -- well known in these parts for the rape of several women and retaliation when they outed him -- is involved.

Those rumors can't be addressed in my story without attribution, which isn't forthcoming right now because there are federal cases still pending. Yet, tv news is spouting off this information without a name tied to it.

But that's not the worst part. While I'm trying to find this woman's mother (and consequently, guardian of her two children) I call a wrong number from a police report.

When I asked to speak with the woman I'm searching for, an elderly man said, "There isn't any X here. I wish there were. I'm all alone. I'm lonely."

The day pretty much got more discouraging from there, but there's no need to drag you down with me.

Oooooooh, people hurt in this world. People hurrrrrrrrrt, bad. I, as a Christian, am to make it better with the eternal balm of Christ. But, people hurrrrrrrrrrrt and I don't even know them. How do I help? How do I love people I don't know? How do I feed the hungry, give hydrate the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, take care of the sick and visit those in prison?

Oh, there's so much.

I pray today that I'll not just hurt for them, but actually help.

Today.

Come with me.

4 Comments:

Blogger robin said...

i want to come w/ you :)
i know what you're saying. people do hurt so bad.
and most of the time the burden of it makes me too sad ... and i feel paralyzed- like there's nothing i can do.

it's encouraging to remember that every bit of the eternal GOOD we can ever hope to do comes from God, though.

i forget that ALL the time.

maybe you were supposed to dial that wrong number on purpose, and i bet you brightened that man's day just by talking to him for a few minutes on the phone.

God's love radiates from you, ms. jeter :) in the way you treat people, in the tone of your voice and the smile on your face.

you cant fix the world ... it's way too broken and too complicated.
i do think that God can, though.

and he's using you :)
that's exciting.

11:04 AM  
Blogger steph-a-ronie said...

I've never met a wiser little giraffe jumping rope.

9:22 PM  
Blogger megamoo06 said...

My Steph,
I miss you.

-Meg

11:32 AM  
Blogger megamoo06 said...

Time for a new post!

9:45 AM  

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