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The other night, I was walking through a poorly-lit part of a town I didn’t know well. My youngest son and I were on our way to help my in-laws when a raggedly-dressed man stopped me momentarily and asked for help.

I apologized that I couldn’t help. He wanted to talk, but I didn’t have time. I explained to him that I was trying to get somewhere quickly as people were waiting on me.

I must not have been the first person to tell him I couldn’t visit. He raised his arms and shouted “Is the world just too busy?”

As I’ve reflected on the exchange, I’ve wondered if I made the proper choice in walking past the man. The Parable of the Good Samaritan seems more real now than ever before. And while I can easily justify my actions, I may have played the role of the priest or the Levite.

Maybe the man on the street is correct. The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, according to Andy Williams. But they’re also the busiest, according to my family calendar. If we’re not careful, we will miss the small moments God has in store for us, the moments God wants to share a powerful message.

As we wrap up National Adoption Month and head into December, look for moments where God is teaching you. Listen for his voice. Don’t make the mistake of missing it.

Let Luke 10:25-28 wash over you today:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Written by John Hall, associate director of public relations at Buckner International.

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