Michael Phelps came home from the Olympics with an agenda.  He wants “to get more people involved in the sport of swimming; more people involved in exercising.”  (Karen Matthews, AP Writer; Post-Journal 8/29/08 ) .

It could have been easy for Phelps to come home and take time off.  He has been in solid training for too many years to count!  Yet he jumped right into a YMCA swimming pool the day after coming back to give kids tips.

Kudos to Michael!

And kudos to you, when you reach out to help your neighbor!

The widow of Zarephath helped Elijah even though she was down to the last of her groceries.  She could have said, “I’m not sharing anything.”

But the widow, her son, and Elijah were all three fed throughout the nation’s drought.  (1 Kings 17).

Are you at the end of your rope?  Reach out to someone else, and it will in turn encourage you.  I am always amazed at how self-sacrifice eventually turns into self-fulfillment.  Proverbs 11:25 says, “he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

Let your agenda include helping others, and just like Michael, you’ll find plenty of pools to jump in!