Here is a sampling of the conversations I had last week with people who are experiencing tough times…

• A man who survived multiple affairs and is working to put his marriage back together.
• A lady who is going to die any day now.
• A dad whose young son has cancer.
• A man whose wife wants to leave him because he has functioned as a child when she needed a man.
• A man who is trying to figure out the concept of boundaries.

My heart hurts for these men and women. As I listen to them and reflect on their stories I realize a few things:

• Everyone needs someone who will listen to them.
• Everyone needs hope.
• Everyone needs instruction.
• Everyone needs love.
• Everyone needs someone

Whether you are trying to die well or live well, at some point you will need someone.

I hope you have someone. I hope you have multiple someones.

If you don’t, can I suggest something that can make all the difference in the world?

Be someone for someone.

Do you ever listen to anyone, or are you the one always talking?

Do you ever help anyone, or are you always the one asking for help?

Do you ever offer to pray for someone, or are you always the one asking for prayer?

If you want these things you must do/be these things! What you plant is what you will pick! If you plant isolation, you will pick loneliness. If you plant anger, you will pick anger. If you plant love… you will pick love.

The good news is that you can plant things that will be good picking later!

Jesus taught us how to do this:

“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” (Luke 6:31 NLT)

If you want someone to be there for you… then be there for someone! In other words, plant what you want to pick!

When I listened to these stories last week I realized, some of these people have been someone for someone and now, when they need someone there is someone. Others are lonely… struggling… trying to do it alone.

I urge you to start being someone for someone today… because you never know when YOU might need someone.

#plantwhatyouwanttopick