THE LADY IN THE FREEZER

 

" A Spanish friend recently told me a story about a woman who found herself stuck inside a walk-in freezer at the meat factory where she worked.

She’d gone in there at the very end of the day to make a final inspection, when the door suddenly swung shut behind her. Frantically, she pushed the safety release button, but nothing happened. Panicking, she yelled for help at the top of her voice, but all her colleagues had gone home.

Once the light has faded you’re in complete darkness. First your hands and feet start to go numb and then your breathing slows down, as hypothermia sets in.

In this case, just as the woman began to give up hope, something totally unexpected happened. The door suddenly opened, from the outside, and she saw the silhouette of the night security guard, come to rescue her.

He explained that she was one of the few people at the factory who didn’t treat him as invisible. Every day, she took the trouble to say ‘hello’ to him when she arrived, and ‘bye, see you tomorrow’ when she left. So when she failed to greet him that evening he knew that something was wrong.

How often does a small act of kindness or respect save a life? Maybe not in such a dramatic way as this, but through raising someone’s spirits or showing them they’re not alone. A smile or a friendly greeting can make a huge difference in ways we may never know.

Let’s pray that we can all reach out today to someone who thinks that they’re invisible". (Alison Murdoch)

 

*****

Speak to people.  Smile at people.  Be genuinely interested in people. Be considerate of the feelings of others. It will be appreciated.

 

*****

Be alert to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for others.

 

*****

The World measures a man's greatness by the number who serve him. Heaven's yardstick measures a man by the number who are served by him.

 

*****

Deal with the faults of others as gently as you do with your own.

*****

Be kind to unkind people--they need it the most.

 

*****

Be kind. Every person you meet is fighting a difficult battle.  Be people-conscious.  Be a good listener. Be patient.

 

*****

 

Gentle words fall lightly, but they have a great weight.

 

*****

The man who bows humbly before God is sure to walk uprightly before men.

 

*****

Blunt words often have the sharpest edge.

 

*****

A smile of encouragement at the right moment may act like sunlight on a closed-up flower--it may be the turning point for a struggling life.

 

*****

What do we live for if not to make the World less difficult for each other?

 

*****

What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. They are but trifles, to be sure, but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.

 

*****

A wise physician said to me, "I have been practicing medicine for 30 years, and I have prescribed many things. But in the long run I have learned that for most of what ails the human creature the best medicine is love."

"What if it doesn't work?" I asked.   "Double the dose," he replied.

 

*****

God cares for people through people

 

*****                                                                                                                         If you were another person, would you like to be a friend of yours?

*****

The World's most unsatisfied hunger is the hunger for appreciation.

 

*****

You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him

 

*****

Kindness is the World's greatest unused capital.

 

*****

The person who sows seeds of kindness enjoys a perpetual harvest.