A wind storm in a field
blows, spiraling dust into
the air.
a sparrow flies haphazardly
over the rising currents –
struggling,
wings bending, stretching,
trying to stay aloft,
but is blown to the
ground; confused, dazed,
wide-eyed, hoping
for a friend.
a stranger passes by
uncaring,
until he too
falls in
the storm.
the bird and the man
together — trying
to rise above
the storm ,
seek to understand friendship, and
a need beyond their own.
O Lord, help us to fly, to care
for others again – those that have
fallen in the storm.[/pullquote4]bad investments and women other than his wife. “Even with the adultery and desertion at the end, he always remained my hero,” his wife Pam said during her last days on earth.”
Conversely, Pam Murphy, the widow of Audie Murphy, was involved in the VA Hospital and Care Center for thirty-five years, treating every veteran who visited the facility as if they too were a war hero. Any soldier who walked into the VA hospital received love and respect from Pam Murphy. She walked the hallways with an endless stream of soldiers, making sure each one got to see the proper specialist. She felt they deserved nothing but the best because they had served their country. It was said that she never called a veteran by his first name. It was always “Mister _______”. Respect came with the job. To those she cared for, Pam Murphy was “their angel”. She died in 2010 at the age of 90 having given over thirty-five years of her life to helping the men and women of the Armed Forces. While the bird and the man in the following poem seem like an oddity, so are the “special angels” like Pam Murphy who, out of the kindness of her heart, selflessly helped thousands of veterans in their time of need. Let her example be an inspiration to all of us.
It is true that we are, or at the very least, should be our brother’s keeper. (Genesis 4:9). God is always looking for more Pam Murphy’s. Her unique brand of unselfish love is not a part-time job but a way of life. As Christians, we are obligated to do as much as we can for as many as we can — not because of the accolades we may receive but because it’s the right thing to do. This week, pray and ask the Lord to send someone with a damaged wing or a broken heart into your life. You’ll both be the better for it.
Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Phil. 2:4).
I may not have silver or gold, but I have hands that can lift a fallen man, eyes to seek
the needy and words of hope to share with the hurting.