I came across this story recently and thought it was sharing.

While just a student, British writer Bernard Hare was living a small apartment north of London when a knock came on the door. It was the police - so Bernard didn't answer knowing he was several months behind on his rent and that the officer likely came to evict him. But then he got to wondering - his mom hadn't been doing well, what if this were something about her?

His phone service had been cut off, so he went down to a telephone booth and called home only to learn his mom was in the hospital and not expected to make it through the night. He rushed to the train station, but had missed the last train. He could take a train to Peterborough, but would miss the connecting train to Leeds by twenty minutes. He bought a ticket anyhow and boarded the train frustrated and despondent.

After a few minutes the conductor came by to collect his ticket - and noticed that Hare had been crying. "Are you ok? he asked.

Hare responded brusquely that he was fine, and tried to shoe the conductor away. He didn't want to be bothered. He wanted to be left alone. Instead the conductor sat down in the seat across from him. Realizing the conductor was not going move on, Hare reluctantly shared about his mom, and about the fact he was going to miss the train to Leeds, and how he wasn't sure how he was going to get home. The conductor offered a few words of comfort then went down the aisle collecting tickets.

About ten minutes later the conductor reappeared. "We've radioed ahead. When we get to Peterborough you hurry over to Platform One. The train to Leeds will be waiting. It won't be leaving until you are on board."

Hare didn't understand. "What do you mean? Is the train to Leeds running late?"

"It will be. And everyone will be complaining about how late it is. But let's not worry about that. You need to get home and that's the main thing. Good luck and God bless." And with that the conductor walked off.

When Hare realized what the conductor had done, he chased him down the aisle in an effort to thank him or repay him or something - he wasn't quite sure what, so he stood there stammering, "I wish I had some good way to thank you, to appreciate what you've done."

"Not a problem," said the conductor. "If you feel the need to thank me, the next time you see someone in trouble, you help them out. That will pay me back amply."

There are so many good lessons in this story - like the importance of paying it forward or the fact that all around us are people who need us to give them some help or that sometimes the rudest people are the ones who need love the most.

Jesus told a similar story in Luke 10, about someone that we now call The Good Samaritan. He was a lot like the conductor - aware of the needs around him.  And willing to do something about them.  Jesus told his followers to do the same.  So why not make that your goal today?  Each of us can make the world a little better from right where we are.