Queen of Everything

I’ve worked hard at being Queen of Everything as my grandkids have so dubbed me. They even got me a coffee mug with that inscription. I try hard to live up to it. However, this holiday season is getting the best of me. In fact, this whole YEAR has been a bit overwhelming. I am about ready to relinquish my crown and pass it along to another individual who feels the need to “fix” the world and everyone in it.



The biggest role assigned to being Queen of Everything is to help others. Now THAT can be complicated. It can be draining. It is hard work and it takes determination. I am not alone. There are a lot of us out there. I know that because I have enlisted their help this year.



I take seriously my role as servant. It is in my blood in major proportions. And it is scriptural. I was at the women’s prison recently with Dan and with a friend. After the planned Christmas festivities we helped provide my friend, Nan, and I had a long talk about how so many people spend their lives trying so hard to be successful by making more money, acquiring more stuff, and keeping up with the Joneses...........yet totally missing the blessings they would get from just giving more and more. We talked about how so many people complain they haven’t enough money to give to others when they can’t keep their own affairs in order. They totally miss the point of giving. You simply can’t give enough to out give God. Nan sees that. She saw it last night when she talked openly with the inmates there who are hurting during this holiday time because of missed family members.........and missing out on life because of poor decisions.



In recent months I have talked to countless people who are terribly unhappy. They have no money. They have no friends. They have no family. They have no love in their lives. And on and on. There are so many hurting people that it boggles the mind. I talked to Dan on the way home about how easy it is to just tell them, “All you need is God.” There is truth to that but it doesn’t give the homeless a roof over their heads to just say those words. It doesn’t give the lonely a loved one to embrace. It doesn’t provide the indigent with more money........Those words are not enough and seem so shallow when basic needs are not being met.



So I keep trying to be the Queen of Everything and help everyone who comes in my path yet sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that I can hardly bear another sad story, another tearful encounter. So today I started thinking about what I could do to help so many hurting people and the best thing I came up with is to encourage them to think beyond themselves and their circumstances and be a servant. Yep! That’s it...just reach out and touch someone.



I simply cannot feed, clothe, house and nurture the whole world. There is not enough of me or all my network of friends to do it. But when it comes down to the real answer to so many of the hurts and anguish of the world it can be summed up in two simple words, HELP OTHERS. It is amazing what joy, satisfaction, peace and happiness can be found in simply reaching out and giving someone else less fortunate a hand up. It doesn’t have to be money. Many who are hurting have no money to give. But giving has many facets. A smile, a word of encouragement, an hour of teaching, an evening of serving in the community food bank, being a Big Sister or Big Brother, helping at the local jail or prison or a zillion other options are open to every individual. But it has to be sought out. It takes looking beyond yourself to the needs of others and that is a big obstacle for many.



Just in the past few weeks I have seen countless instances of people who are hurting for lack of love and encouragement. What would it take for you to latch onto someone and make them feel loved? Do you think that in the process you might also feel love? Do you think you would be fulfilled and excited about giving someone the ability to make a new life for him/herself simply by offering some TIME? If each one of us helped to change the life of just one other individual in this next year, we will have helped to make a huge difference in this world. And that changed individual could easily change a family tree and benefit future generations. Just one person. Just one life. It is hard work. I know firsthand. But I also know it is gratifying to see a changed life and to know you had a hand in bettering the world.



I am losing patience with those I hear complaining about not having a job, or money or a friend or a family.............. I know those things are hard to overcome........but I also know that if one looks beyond his/her own circumstances, they will find someone nearby who is in worse shape and who needs a gentle word or touch. And by giving that word or touch, it can make all the difference in the world and change one’s life perspective. Furthermore, I firmly believe that reaching out to help someone else brings on more riches than ever expected. You can’t out give God. He rewards His servants mightily; the more you give, the more He gives. It is the law of the harvest. If you plant a seed, you don’t just get another seed..........you get an entire plant that produces hundreds of seeds. Try using that principle in the world around you and you will be surprised at how it is life changing.



So now I will gladly hand over my crown as Queen of Everything........but only for a short time-frame. I don’t want to quit trying to change the world one person at a time. But I would LOVE to have lots of others join me in my quest. I am happy to share my crown with everyone. I know it will bless anyone who tries it on. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.......and giving.......... and giving.........