What is good for your soul?
A volunteer, lined up to go and help during the Brisbane floods a few years ago, was asked why he was there. He replied: “It is good for the soul.” Most of us knew exactly what he meant even though the task for him involved working in stinking conditions, for people he did not know and with no payment at all. It was good for his soul because he was giving of himself – generously. Across the country at the moment – in Tasmania, outside Melbourne and across Far North Queensland, we are hearing about many people doing good for their souls, though they probably don’t see their generosity that way.
How often do we stop and ask ourselves: what is good for my soul? What actions make me a better person for having done them? We all know what a difference healthy food makes to us, but what about life-giving, soul-fulfilling actions? We each have different things that work for us but one way that works for all is giving of ourselves (not our money) in a selfless way. Rarely will we have the chance to do a dramatic rescue or even clean up a city after a flood but we are offered many simply and ordinary opportunities: ringing an elderly relative, listening to your child’s reading when you’ve heard the story ten times before, offering to do a job your spouse usually does. These actions are good for our souls for they take us out of our own concerns and connect us with other people. We are made for this: created in God’s image we come to the fullness of life in profound passionate self-giving, even in the smallest events of life.
Loving God, we have been inspired by the many people who gave of themselves during the recent disasters. Led by your Spirit, may we follow Jesus’ example and their example in showing love, even in the ordinary events of life. We ask this in his name, confident that you will hear us.