An American football player was asked about the give-and-take of his sport. He said, “It’s fun when we’re the hammer. Sometimes we’re the nail!”

“Lori” felt like the nail. With a master’s degree in her pocket, here she was applying for a two-bit job. But she wished to be free of the malaise that gripped her. Didn’t the Living ECK Master say that one’s creativity and imagination could extricate nearly anyone from inertia?

One small step at a time.

Over two years, she’d seen an ad for this position reappear with some regularity. It seemed employees could take only so much of this work. Then they’d bolt!

Lori looked at the job as a spiritual opportunity. It was stocking greeting cards in a grocery store.

Her thinking went like this: She might learn a lot. If she could master this job nobody wanted, she would grasp some elusive insight into herself, and maybe God.

The job opened her heart in the most touching ways.

At first, the manager was aloof and unfriendly. He’d seen too many come and go. But this one proved herself through a diligent work ethic, and in time, the two became dear and helpful colleagues.

Greeting cards draw customers. She helped grandparents, dads, moms, kids, friends, and even priests looking for that perfect card.

One customer stands out in her memory.

She noticed a man lingering over a card section, likely mystified by the abundance of choices. “Can you read this card for me?” (He couldn’t read.) It was a birthday card for a brother, wishing the best for him always, and especially in the year to come.

He accepted the card. It was close enough to what he wanted to say: wishing the very best future and to forget the past. Yes, the card fit the occasion well enough. His brother had just been released from prison, and the customer wanted to wish him a bright future and say to forget the past.

Lori is doing what she can to serve life.

And there’s “Sam” too. Like Lori, he does what he can to make a desired end occur.

One day, an uncle called. He was desperate to borrow a good chunk of money. A brother in another city had died unexpectedly, and he needed more money to complete the purchase of an airline ticket.

Sam was in a jam; he had no money. Nevertheless, he promised to send the requested amount.

So he did the right thing: he called on the Mahanta. The Master, of course, knew of Sam’s financial impoverishment. But if the money was meant to come, what could Sam do to help make it so?

An acquaintance then came to mind. The man was ready to catch a flight, but he dropped by with the cash—and half again as much.

He waved off Sam’s protest. “In case you need it.”

Indeed, Sam did. He’d forgotten to allow for his own food, which the extra money would cover.

His story has a happy ending. The uncle repaid his loan, and Sam repaid the generous acquaintance. He now knows when one acts as a vehicle for the ECK to help someone, the vehicle gets help too.

So Lori, Sam, and you do all you can to live, love, and learn in ECK.

—Sri Harold Klemp

Pick a day, and build momentum to serve and grow by following up on any opportunity to help someone or something.

Do this, and the Inner Master will help you discover what makes these opportunities golden!