I read a beautiful story on BBC News recently. You can read the full story here but the gist of it is that “During his second-round match (at the Australian Open Tennis Tournament), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga noticed a ball girl was fighting back tears after being struck by a ball.

The Frenchman stopped play to check on the girl before looping his arm through hers and escorting her off the court.”

Isn’t that just extraordinary? An elite sportsman, mid-match, stops playing to look after a ball girl. I’m not an elite sportsman, as those who know me personally will testify, but I have played tennis and I do know the amount of concentration and focus that it takes. Distractions can lose you valuable points.

Multiply that by the pressure of being in a tournament that you have a chance of winning, plus the scorching heat of Australia and the story becomes more remarkable, the more you think about it.

It’s easy to be indifferent towards caring for those we know well and love, let alone strangers. How often do we “pass on the other side” when we see people who might need our help? Tsonga’s actions demonstrate a genuine care and spirit that challenges me deeply: I can so easily make excuses about being too busy or too focused on other things.

Pastor Bill Hybels wrote a book several years ago called “Too Busy Not To Pray”, a sentiment that many people agree and recognise as important: no matter how busy we are, prayer should be a priority. If Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ever writes a book, he should definitely call it “Too Busy Not To Love” since his actions show that, even in our most unavailable moments, we should always be ready to show care and love to those around us.