Some of us may be profoundly discouraged about the world we
think we know. So many of our media news sources are relentlessly filled
with stories of natural disaster, grinding poverty, death and disease, that it
is hard not to be drawn into this negativity. Bad news is news!
Good news doesn't sell newspapers as well. So, it may be hard for
us to realize that in many ways the world is becoming a better
place.
Nicholas Kristof, a columnist for The New York Times,
reports that fewer children worldwide are starving or dying of disease now than
at any time in recorded history, and more children are in school. Kristof
continues ---- "In impoverished Haiti, health care shows basic
improvements. More than four out of five Haitian children get some
childhood immunizations. De-worming is now widespread. In the old
days, these kids would be dead."
In 1970, columnist Kristof tells us, almost a quarter
of Haitian children died before their fifth birthday. At last count,
however, the figure was 7%. Just compared with 15 years ago, one fewer
child dies each hour.
"As families grow confident that their children will
survive," says Kristof, "they also have fewer of them. In 2005,
the average woman in Haiti could be expected to have five children. Now
the figure is about three births per woman."
As we think about these positive trends and examples of
progress in the world, several things may come to mind. First, it took
the U.N., many governments and numerous not-for-profit organizations, working
together, engaging large numbers of people, to make these positive
"macro" changes happen.
Secondly, they did not happen overnight. Indeed, some
worthy attempts at concerted positive change were failures, and many succeeded
only because of "long-term" efforts. Indeed, sometimes it took
years before substantial progress was seen.
The issues were not just about funding. Often, the
changes required in people and their cultures met strong resistance. This
resistance had to be overcome, and that often took time and skill. In the
last analysis, it would seem that the change "lubricant" most often
successful was people-to-people relationships ---- not distant
bureaucracy. It was people teaching each other, encouraging each other,
and working side by side.
Well, is there a lesson for you and me in this? I
don't know about you, but I cannot take off a year to go work on a health
project in Haiti. But, if I stay home, are there any other ways I can
bring HOPE to some other people in 2015?
Of course, you know I am going to say to you that there are
some ways. But, YOU must find them, specifically for yourself!
All I can do is offer some suggestions on how to make your "helping"
time most fruitful.
Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned in
attempting to bring HOPE to others, especially to strangers in need, is that
satisfying this goal is not a "one shot" proposition.
Several years ago, when I began as a weekly volunteer at
Runnells Hospital in Berkeley Heights, several of us visited mainly on the
first floor. The Hospital termed these patients "sub-acute",
because usually they were there for physical therapy after hip or knee replacements.
So, after about 4 or 5 weeks these patients would be discharged home and we
would not see them again.
We would have had some nice conversations, hopefully
relieving some of the tedium of a hospital stay, but at 20 or so minutes
per week, we were not really doing much to instill HOPE.
We would have needed time to build a relationship for a
deeper conversation.
At some point, we discovered that a number of patients on
the first floor, for whatever reason, occupied rooms that would be theirs for
the rest of their lives! Some had outlived their families, others had
working families or children who lived some distance from Runnells, so their
visits to see the family member were infrequent and hectic. We made a
point of spending regular time with these "long-term" patients.
Gradually, some beautiful things began to happen.. Not
only did they begin to tell us how much they looked forward to our visits, but
we discovered that under that thin guise of age and infirmity, they were
interesting people, proud to share their feelings, frustrations and hopes for
the future.
These long-term relationships began developing several years
ago, and they have grown richer each year that passes, for all of us.
Some of our Runnells friends have died in the meanwhile, but it gives us a warm
feeling to recall many happy times with them, and the satisfaction of perhaps
bringing some HOPE to their final days.
Perhaps we were merely a momentary distraction for those 4
or 5-week Runnells patients we also visited. Sadly, not enough visits
were possible to develop real relationships. I think it is only by
developing such relationships that we build a road to HOPE for those in need.
This does not require one to be a Runnells volunteer.
What it does require is intentional long-term effort ---- not
just one-shot conversations or one-shot charitable projects. It's interesting
how it also was long-term effort that has brought such wonderful HOPE to
Haiti, as we described it at the beginning of our story.
And this long-term "seeding" of HOPE in others is
satisfying to the giver, too. Sometimes we may feel a little negativity
about the first visit ---- don't we have many other things to do instead of
this?? If we pass this test, it gets easier and easier to feel personal satisfaction
as we continue "seeding" HOPE in others.
May your New Year bring some HOPE to others as we all try to
make the world a better place in 2015. It's your move!
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These thoughts are brought to you by the Adult Spiritual
Development Team at CPC, hoping to encourage your personal spiritual
growth this winter.
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