FACES OF MERCY

Learning to stand on your own two feet - “We all have different desires and needs, but if we don't discover what we want from ourselves and what we stand for, we will live passively and unfulfilled.”

Do you know what an L.L.B. is?

When people traveled more often by train than by air, one mother found herself in need. She was traveling with two children, one of which was a fussy baby. It seemed that nothing she did would settle the child down.

However, seated next to her was an older gentleman who offered to take the infant so she could tend to her other child. He bounced the baby on his knee, cooed and whispered and finally stood up and paced the aisle. In a little while the infant fell fast asleep and he sat down again. The mother was amazed. "You must be an M.D.," she exclaimed.

"No," he smiled. "I'm just an L.L.B."

"An L.L.B?" she asked. "What's that?"

"A Lover of Little Babies!" he said.

In America's aftermath of Hurricane Katrina we are discovering L.L.B's, as well as Lovers of Older Folks, Lovers of Life's Victims and even Lovers of Lost Pets. Some of these good-hearted people open their homes. Some scour the streets of New Orleans for stranded residents. Some volunteer at shelters around the country, some organize support in their own communities and some send supplies and money. Some pray. It is these lovers of humanity that will, in the end, help devastated lives through the crisis and give us all enough hope to keep doing what we can.

You've heard it said, "Blessed are the merciful…" Mercy takes on several faces. Sometimes it may look like an L.L.B. But today it looks like many of you. May you be truly blessed.

From Lifesupport.