One night my sleep was interrupted at 3:00 am by the whining meow of a stray cat. Usually such noises come and go as the animal in question makes its rounds from place to place. This time it continued on and on and I began to wonder if the cat was caught in something or injured. I was tempted to investigate but I knew that my prowling about would set off the neighbors dogs, so I just continued to ignore the irritation.
As I thought about the whole situation, I realized that we often view the human cry in a similar way. I know people who are motor-mouths. They go on and on with a one-way conversation that I wish would end. They are like the proverbial dripping faucet. Often I feel like I just want to escape from them. But what if they are lonely or hurting? Even if they are not in need, will my reaction discourage them from seeking me out when they do have a problem?
So often we have heard of tragedies in the news such as suicides or other irrational behaviors that were preceded by a cry for help. Let's not be deaf to those cries. Our availability may be used by God to relieve the despair of someone around us. We can bring grace to others each day by being a listener and sympathiser.
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