On September 25, 2021, the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles played the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. It was a difficult night for Southern Miss, losing to Alabama 63-14. Before leaving that night, Coach Will Hall’s equipment crew completely cleaned the visitor’s locker room at Bryant-Denny stadium. When the Alabama crew went in, they found that every water bottle, sweat band, piece of tape, and bit of trash had already been taken out and thrown away. The USM people live by the motto, “Leave it better than you found it.”
Ben McMahon was riding on a city bus and noted a kind deed. A woman noticed a young man, on his way to a job interview, who was having difficulty with his tie. She nudged her husband so he would be aware of the situation as well. As the man went to offer help, the lady stood in front of them to block the view so the young man would not be embarrassed.
Due to a four-hour flight delay, Naomi Shihab Nye was wandering around the Albuquerque airport. She heard an announcement: “If anyone in the vicinity of Gate A-4 understands any Arabic, please come to the gate immediately.” Since that was her gate, and she understood and spoke Arabic, Naomi went to see if she could be of assistance. Upon her arrival, she noticed an older woman, dressed in a Palestinian dress, sitting on the floor and sobbing. The flight agent explained to Naomi that she tried to explain the delay of the flight and this was the reaction. When Nye began speaking, in faltering Arabic, the woman immediately stood up and stopped crying. Misunderstanding, the lady thought her flight had been cancelled and she wouldn’t be able to keep her doctor’s appointment in El Paso for the following day. Naomi assured the lady she would make it in time. She then asked the flight agents if she could ride next to her on the plane. Naomi let the lady call her son and explain the situation to him. Just because she could, she also called and talked to her other sons. Naomi called her dad and let him speak to her new friend. They discovered they had 10 friends in common. There was much laughter now. Naomi also decided to call some Palestinian poets that she knew to let her friend visit with them. After the phone calls, the lady who had been upset opened a bag of homemade mamool cookies and offered some to the gate agents and other passengers who had been witnessing the happenings. Not one person refused the treat. Airline personnel then offered free apple juice from coolers. As the time for boarding drew near, Naomi expressed, “This is the world I want to live in. The shared world. Not a single person in that gate – once the crying of confusion stopped – seemed apprehensive about any other person.”
May we each be willing to do the extra to help carry the load and make it a better place for others.
Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. Romans 15:2
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
2 Corinthians 4:18
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
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