Lifeline

"It opens the lungs, washes the countenance, exercises the eyes,

and softens down the temper.  So cry away." -- Charles Dickens

Here's one of those "it's a small world" stories.  My pastor recommended that I contact a young lady he knows whose name is Emily.  He said we would probably have a lot in common and that he could see us being good friends.  As it turns out, Emily and I do have a lot in common.  We're the same age.  Neither of us is native to Kalamazoo.  We both grew up near Saginaw.  Funny, huh?  Not done yet.  Emily happens to live in an apartment directly across the parking lot from me.  Small world?  Yep.  It gets even smaller.  This past summer, there was a fire across the parking lot.  Thankfully, the fire was not in Emily's apartment, but she did have some damage as a result.  While they were fixing up her apartment, they set her up in the apartment DIRECTLY next to mine.  Yes, Emily and I lived directly next to each other for a few months this summer and had no idea.  And now we're friends!

During a recent conversation, Emily and I discussed how little we know about our neighbors.  I rarely see any of mine, and she hardly ever sees any of hers.  There's no real "community" feeling around here.  Doesn't really bother me.  I'm perfectly fine not knowing.

While Emily lived in my building, she had an apartment with a balcony that overlooked the parking lot.  She said it was very interesting to watch people come and go every so often (in a very non-creepy way, I promise).  She then mentioned that there were a few weeks in particular this summer when she had seen one young woman who was always crying - no matter whether she was coming or going, getting her mail or sitting out in her car, this young woman was crying. 

Emily did not know her.  She didn't know why she was crying.  But Emily felt awful for this young lady every time she saw her sadness.  She wasn't sure how to approach her, or whether it was even appropriate to do so.  Before long, Emily had made up her mind that she was not going to approach her directly, but was going to write her a card of encouragement and leave it on her windshield (she knew her vehicle because she had seen her crying in it multiple times).  So Emily got the card, wrote it out, and intended to leave it on this young lady's windshield the next time she saw it in the parking lot.  I'm sad to say that Emily never saw the woman again, and therefore was never able to give her the card.

When Emily told me this story, my heart broke for the anonymous woman.  I know how it feels to be overwhelmed by a situation, to feel terrified, alone, and helpless, and to have no outlet for your sadness aside from tears.  I feel terrible that this woman was my own neighbor and I never noticed that she was living in such misery.  Something in her life was clearly going very poorly, and from the sounds of it she was very alone.  Unfortunately for Miss Anonymous, Emily never got to tell her that she had noticed her sadness, that she was thinking of her and praying for her, and that things would eventually get better. 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: we're often oblivious to the troubles of those around us... especially the ones who are silent in their struggles.  It seems obvious that we were created to pay attention to our surroundings.  Man was created with two eyes and two ears, but only one mouth.  So often, we spend too much time talking and not enough time looking/ listening to the world around us.  Keep your eyes and ears open for someone around you who may be going through a difficult time.  The next time someone like "Miss Anonymous" is living down the hall from me, I hope I'll be more apt to notice his/her struggle and offer some support, even if it seems small and insignificant.  As someone who knows what it's like to feel alone, scared, and hopeless, I know how great a small gesture of support can feel like, even when it's unsolicited.

You have two eyes and two ears.  Use them!  Pay close attention to your world and to those around you.  It's possible that someone you know (or even someone you don't know) could use some sympathy, encouragement, or even just a little support.  You never know... even the tiniest shred of encouragement could be the very lifeline someone desperately needs.