Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

There is an old story of an elderly man , who always carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went, and when he would go through a door that squeaked, he would squirt a little oil on the hinges. If he encountered a gate that was hard to open, he would oil the latch.And so he went through life, lubricating all the difficult places, making it easier for those who came after him. People called the man eccentric,strange, and crazy, but he went steadily on, often refilling his can of oil when it was nearly empty, and oiling all the difficult places he found.
 In this world,there are many lives that creak and grate as they go about their daily work. Often it seems nothing goes right with them and that they need lubricating with "the oil of joy"(psalm 45:7), gentleness, or  thoughtfulness.
Do you carry your own can of oil with you?Are you ready with your oil of helpfulness each morning? If you offer your oil to the person nearest  you, it just might lubricate the entire day for him. Your oil of cheerfulness  will mean more then you know to someone that is downhearted. Or the oil may be a word of encouragement to a person that is full of despair. Never  fail to speak it, for our lives may touch others on the road of life, and then our paths may diverge, never to meet again.  The oil of kindness has worn the sharp, hard edges off many a sin-hardened  life and left it soft and pliable, ready to receive the  redeeming grace of our Savior. A pleasant word is a bright ray of sunshine to a saddened heart. Therefore give others the sunshine and tell Jesus the rest.