Monday Moment: September 3, 2007

By Dr. Michael A. Halleen
Sep 4, 2007, 23:24

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When (Paul and Barnabas) arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God….John Mark was with them as their helper. (Acts 13:5)

The customs officer led me to a corner of a plain, bright room in the airport of Kiev. He had motioned to me in the green line to follow him and asked to see my money. Eastern European customs officials frequently did this in the mid-1990s, and I watched in some discomfort as he fingered his way through the hundred dollar bills I was carrying in behalf of the ministry I represented. On this occasion I had two envelopes destined for different groups, but together the amounts totaled more than what one person was allowed to carry.

The officer finished counting and asked, “Who this for?” He knew very well that I was bringing it into his country for the benefit of Ukrainian citizens (in this case salaries for ministry colleagues), and he had the right to know names and addresses so that appropriate taxes could be applied. I said it was for staff members of two orphanages, one in Kiev, the other in Crimea, but gave no names. “No,” he said softly, looking straight into my eyes, “this for personal use.” And he placed the money back into the envelopes, handed them to me and motioned with a wave of his hand that I was to go.

I walked into the arrival hall realizing that, without making an issue of it, this customs officer had done me a huge favor. He had told me what I must do in the future to bring money into his country—just declare it “for personal use.” They could hassle their countrymen, but they would not bother a foreigner who claimed the money was for his own purposes. It occurred to me to go back to thank him, but common sense said to leave well enough alone.

Our lives are rich with people who have provided help to us. The Apostle Paul had John Mark in Cyprus. Jesus had Martha and Mary in Bethany. Moses had his brother Aaron in Sinai. Ruth had Boaz in ancient Bethlehem. Were I to list those who have helped me, the reams of paper on my shelf could not contain the names. And where we do not find friends or colleagues who can help, there is even the occasional, anonymous act of kindness—like that in the Kiev airport—that blesses us at a moment when we need it.

Notice the people who help you today. Thank them. Even better, look for opportunities to be a helper to another.

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Monday Moments are written by Dr. Michael A. Halleen. Contact Mike at mhalleen@att.net to be added to or removed from the distribution list.

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