Give what a person needs

An unlikely source of a quote, Joss Whedon - TV screen writer with accolades such as Buffy under his belt. However I think it is a fabulous quote and something that comes up at Christmas time and for myself when I am out and about in the sales, when shopping all too often becomes about wants rather than need!

But I would say that in meeting someones needs we usually address their wants too, or at least go so way to doing so. It is like the beggar in Acts 3 who wanted money (he did need this but there was actually a far greater need) but instead Peter in the name of Jesus performed a miracle and the man walked again! (giving him what he really needed, for the man did not just need money to survive he also needed to belong and in that time being disabled would likely have precluded him from many social situations including the temple which is why he would have been sitting by the gates).

So when looking to offer kindness consider, what does this person really need? It could be as simple as

• My time
• Acceptance
• Patience
• Understanding
• A listening ear
• To know that they are in your thoughts (a text, a phone call, a card)
• A smile
• Being let out in the traffic jam (you don't know where they need to get to or what a bad day they are having)

Just think about what can I do to meet this person's need- do to others as you'd have them do to you in that situation!