Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

 Romans 13:9-10 (NLT)

9 For the commandments say, “You must not commit
adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal.
You must not covet.”These—and other such
commandments—are summed up in this one
commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the
requirements of God’s law.

Reflection:

Like every other high school senior, Courtney Barich
dreamt of her prom night. She would wear a magnificent
dress and dance the night away like Cinderella. However,
as Courtney searched for a gown, something in her changed.

Courtney had found the perfect dress with a $700 price tag
that was within her budget. The store asked Courtney to
return the next day for alterations. On the way home,
Courtney couldn’t help but feel wrong about spending so
much money on a dress that she would wear for one evening.
As she second-guessed her choice to her mom, Courtney’s
mom replied, “You’d look good in anything, even a potato sack.”

That off-the-cuff remark set off a light bulb in Courtney’s head.
In a few months, Courtney was headed to the Philippines on a
school mission to help out a poor orphanage in need. Courtney
pledged to wear a burlap potato sack to prom if she could raise
$10,000 for the orphanage. On prom night, she made good on
her promise and wore a burlap dress fashioned by a designer
who donated her time to help Courtney out. As her other friends
displayed glitzy and glamorous gowns, Courtney glowed with
the joy of knowing that she had made a positive difference in the
lives of those in need.

It’s true — none of us can fix everything, but all of us can do
something. Just as Courtney did, with a little creativity and
determination, we, too, can make a significant impact on the
lives of our brothers and sisters in need. Remember, if God shows
us a problem, we must ask how we can help. How might you
contribute to God’s purposes today?

(Reflection section by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein)