“It feels good to pay it forward,” said one mom of a special needs child turned advocate. She was helping other families by attending IEPs with them and training to be come a professional advocate.

The message was reinforced when I went to Sunday School and the lesson was on “goodness”…we’re studying the fruit of the Spirit, and this is the sixth quality. The teacher explained that goodness differentiates itself from kindness by taking action. Goodness is benevolent action (doing good for/to someone else). The teacher went on to describe what she believes is at least a partial solution to the increase in depression in society. She said that in order to do good, one must look past their own circumstances and get outside of themselves to help others. She referred to those who have been through the most trials and tribulations as having the most potential to “do good”.

I couldn’t agree with her more. At least part of the remedy that keeps me from falling into the abyss of despair is the opportunity to help others. If I sit around reflecting on my own situation with LuLu too long, I slip into feeling very sorry for us all – LuLu, me, Super Dad, our entire family. Our situation often seems so dire. And worse yet, it seems so pointless. The only way our lives make any sense to me is in the potential we have to help others in similar situations.

I do believe that you can “do good” without having a faith belief. But I don’t know how the Jobs of the world survive without faith. And I’m convinced that doing good is “good medicine” for much of what ails you. You can always find someone worse off than you, if you look. And if you look specifically for others who are going through what you have, it’s even more healing.


More thoughts on faith/goodness/paying it forward:

Good Does Not Equal Easy

Your Candle: An Anxiety Buster

Interested in the fruit of the spirit study I’ve been studying?
Living Beyond Yourself