The extra mile

Back when I was living in DC, I had a babysitting job at a mother's Bible study. Me and a few other ladies, older ladies, all Philippino immigrants, watched 10-15 kids for a few hours while their busy mothers had some time to study God's word and fellowship.

One week, one of the ladies went the extra mile. She had realized that the kids usually had really long fingernails, their mothers were too busy to cut them, so she spent the morning clipping the restless toddlers' nails. All of the kids were well-groomed by the end. She just saw a really small need and filled it, went the extra mile for these kids, and helped out their mothers.

This week at school, we had some extra breakfasts leftover on Friday, and the teacher usually lets each kid take an item at snacktime. I've realized that some of the kids are really hungry by snacktime, so they are all glad to get a bowl of cereal or bagel and juice.

The teacher discreetly put all the leftover snacks after the class had taken what they wanted into one student's backpack. She knows the father left the mother earlier this school year, left her with no job, 3 kids, and two of them are special needs kids, and $200. (what a jerk...) Since the teacher knows this, she often puts the extra snacks in this student's backpack. He comes into school with them for snack often. Not just her, but the other aides in the classroom do it too. She goes the extra mile, knowing there is a huge need for this kid, and helps out.

In Georgia, when I was having a yard sale to raise money to go to Africa, I encountered so many people looking for things for other people. One lady was sending toiletries and clothes to her family and friends back in Haiti, which had just been hit by a bad hurricane.

Another one was a special ed teacher, taught sixth grade, and she was picking up clothes for her students. She knew exactly what they would like to wear and what they wouldn't wear. Wow. That is an awesome teacher. The kids in that county usually lived in lower-class families, sort of country people, and she knew her students needed new clothes, so she filled the need.

I am just inspired by things like this. Seeing small needs right around us, and stepping in and filling them. I know lots of the kids in my classroom have needs, some more dire than others, so I am just looking to see who needs a hug or a smile every day. I want to go the extra mile for these kids and just love them like Jesus would.