BY SIMONE TALMA FLOWERS

Can you live your life without relationships? I think everyone can agree that we have had relationships in our lives that have helped sustain us, given us strength and given us hope in times of need.

If you are a member of a faith community, think about the many relationships you have built with people in your congregation. How were you embraced in that community and what fed you to return time and time again? Having relationships is simply a necessity for us to stay connected, to help us be successful and to live a fulfilling, happy and healthy life.

Can you imagine not having someone to call in a time of need? Can you imagine not having someone to call to share your good news with? If you had no one to lean on, no one to talk to and no community to reach out to, that would be very sad. But there are many people in our community who live in isolation and do not feel connected with others.

Imagine coming into a new community, not knowing anyone, not speaking the language, not knowing the culture. If you cannot make ends meet, are unemployed or under employed, where do you turn, who do you reach out to? Unfortunately, there are many people in our community who do not know where to get help, who live in poverty, are working but poor and cannot see a way out.

Stop. Take a look back on your life. Now remember a challenging time you experienced and the people present to help you get through that difficult time. We are so thankful for those relationships, those angels who live among us and were present to help during our time of need. Isn’t it amazing how these angels appear in our lives and just happen to be there when we need them most? The support can be a simple act, like a word of encouragement, a smile or a gesture, could be enough to give you the strength — the boost to take another step forward. Or the act of support could be more extensive, last for a longer period of time and may involve those angels sharing their resources with you.

Our relationships with the angels who live among us are a reminder that there is kindness and goodness in this world. Wouldn’t it be remarkable if we built a relationship and became an angel in the life of a person who is having a difficult time?

Many of us have built up our networks of support, which keep us sustained and fulfilled. We are in communities that give us the strength to move mountains and do remarkable things in our lives. Can you imagine sharing this great fortune with others? As I look at the many diverse communities in which we live, I invite you to open your hearts and share your time with someone who is not a part of your usual community. I invite you to be an angel in someone else’s life. The only requirement is to take action. Having good thoughts is great; however, you have to act on these thoughts to make a difference. We can act and do good together.

I know one thing that is certain for me: as I walk my journey in life and as I walk my journey of faith, I am with many angels from different faiths, many angels from different cultures, many angels who create beauty, which is the diversity of this life. I thank God for giving us angels who walk this earth and live among us.