Helping the Next Person Though

Rev. John Braaten tells the story of a teenager named Douglas Maurer, of Creve Coeur, Missouri. Douglas had been feeling bad for several days when his mom took him to the hospital in St. Louis where he was diagnosed as having leukemia.

The doctors spoke to him very directly about his disease. They said that for the next three years, he would have to undergo chemotherapy. They didn’t sugarcoat the side effects. They told him he would go bald and that his body would most likely bloat. Upon learning this, he went into a deep depression.

His aunt called a floral shop to send Douglas an arrangement of flowers. She told the clerk that it was for her teenage nephew who had leukemia. When the flowers arrived at the hospital, they were beautiful. Douglas read the card from his aunt without emotion.

Then he noticed a second card. It said: “Douglas – I took this order from your Aunt. I work at Brix Florist. I had leukemia when I was seven years old. I’m 22 years old now. Good Luck. My heart goes out to you. Sincerely, Laura Bradley.”

His face lit up. “Oh wow!” he said.

It is amazing. Douglas was in a hospital that had the most up-to-date technological equipment available. He was being treated by doctors and nurses with years of medical training. But it was the sales clerk in a flower shop – a young woman – who by taking the time to care, and by being willing to listen to her own heart, gave Douglas the hope and will to carry on.

Perhaps God has carried you through an experience of brokenness, or failure, or illness in your life. If so, my prayer for you is that you would be willing to use that experience to reach out and help the next person though.

Let us pray: We thank you, O God, for the way you have carried us through difficult times. We thank you also for the people who came into our lives at just the right time. May we be those kinds of people for others. Amen.