Twice a year my church picks up trash along two miles
of roadway. We divide into groups and start at each end,
working until we meet each other.
I remember the first time we went out. I was scanning the
sides of the roads while riding to our starting point. Upon
our arrival, I made the statement, “This shouldn’t take long;
there’s not much trash along this section.” We gathered up
our bags and equipment and started out. About two minutes
into picking up trash, I changed my mind. What I could not
see riding by at 25 mph, I could see now that I was slowly
walking. Where did all
these pieces of plastic, foam,
paper, and glass come from?
It then occurred to me
that this same problem
of perspective applies to
other aspects of my life. How many people do I come in
contact with each day at church, at the store, the bank, or at
work, only to say, “How are you” and barely wait to hear the
response, “Fine and you?” If I’m so busy with my own life that
I quickly pass others by, I may be missing an opportunity to
bear someone else’s burden. It could be as simple as a word
of encouragement, a listening ear, a prayer. When I slow
down enough to hear or see the struggle in another’s life, I can
“fulfill the law of Christ.” | 
