Crumbs Off The Table - 9

The Helpless Beetle

The On one of my walks in the fields, I found a poor beetle in my pathway, on his back, vainly
struggling and striving to recover his feet. I decided not to ignore him.
“Friend Sable-coat,” said I playfully, “the proverb has it that a friend in need is a friend
indeed; and I have arrived just in time, it seems, to verify the adage.” I gently laid across him a
blade of grass, which enabled him once more to get on his legs, and hide himself in a hole in
the ground.
Whether he thanked me or not, I cannot say, not knowing the way in which such creatures
express their thanks; but I felt quite certain, whether I had increased his happiness or not,

I had added some little to my own.

Now, reader, consider how many human beetles there are on their backs, or, in other words,
cases of distress which need assistance. Gentle friend; let me beseech you to act upon my
suggestion. I wish neither to apportion the stream of your benevolence, nor to direct the
express channel through which it should flow, but only to urge you to do something, be it
much or little, of a useful and charitable character; do not do it ostentatiously and showily but
modestly; and if your name remain unknown, so much the better. And even if you cannot help
everybody, I am sure you can help somebody
‘But when you do a charitable deed,
do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.’
(Matthew 6:3)

Henry Drummond once said; “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing
therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now.
Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
In penning these few words, I have had one object in view; to move your hand to gentle deeds
of compassion and charity. Look around you, at your family members, your friends, your
colleagues, at the strangers you meet every day and do not ignore these ‘human beetles’ on
their backs! Help the helpless, whoever they are, in whatever way you can!

And the King will answer and say to them,

‘Assuredly, I say to you,
Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren,
you did it to Me.’
(Matthew 25:40)

The greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father

is to be kind to some of His other children.