Depending on my destination in the town of Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A., I usually drive from home on the back roads, out in the country between horse farms, for a short while. I like it that my subdivision is on the edge of 'country.' Today I had to avoid a man walking on the side of the narrow two-lane road, against traffic. He was short, thin as could be, kind of old and bent, and as dirty as could be. He was holding up his long pants with one hand; his beard was long and scraggly. I judged him to be homeless, sad to say.
The gentleman and other homeless persons, are oceans of neediness. It requires many people to 'carry' them, to attempt to meet a few of their basic needs. I worked with our city's homeless when I was in nursing school in the 90's, for two semesters. But today I would like to address the less needy, those who need help and those who give help, all (ALL!) us ordinary folks.
Let's look back on our lives. Although we would always prefer to be on the 'giving' end of help, there have been a few times in our lives when we've had to be on the 'receiving' end. I don't know a solitary person who has never needed some kind of support. I'll admit that there have been times I should have sought help from family or friends but just was hurting too much.
Since then, I came to realize that the person receiving help really does the person giving help a favor, thus permitting her or him to be generous and selfless. We need to be careful and ask for any kind of help only when necessary, lest we be 'on the take.' Then folks will avoid us!
Once, I needed help and was absolutely paralyzed, not knowing what to do. With seven or eight of my children - I forget now how many - we had visited my grandmother in Louisville, Kentucky. We were on Interstate 64-south, on the way back to Danville. All of a sudden, our blue 1974 Ford station wagon (they were big back then!) got a flat tire. I pulled over to the side of the road, got out and looked at the tire, and had no idea where to begin. I had never in my life changed a tire.
About that time, a fairly young man pulled up behind us in a pickup truck. He kindly offered, "Ma'am, looks like you need some help. Could I change your tire for you?"
Still in a fog, I remembered that you needed some kind of a tool, and I thought it was called a 'jack.' I told him, "I don't know if the car has a jack."
He was kind at my ignorance. He replied, "Well, why don't I just take a look?"
The children were sent out of the car to sit on the small hill beside the car. The gentleman quickly located the tire jack and spare tire in the wheel well, of course, and proceeded to change the tire in about 10 minutes. I was astounded and grateful! The children just looked on quietly.
I offered to pay him and he wouldn't accept anything. He just got back in his truck and was gone in a flash. What an angel God sent us precisely when we needed one!
There are all kinds of help folks can use. We have no idea what burdens the people we encounter are carrying. Perhaps, if we tried to slow down just a little and at least smile, we could lift their spirits!
Dear Lord, please remind us that we can relieve lots of suffering and hurting by kindness. And when we need to dig in and help lots, help us offer everything we have and everything we are. We know You did this for us. When we are sad of heart and soul, help us go to You with confidence that You will always lift our burdens. We remember Your words, "Come to me, all ye who are weary, and I will give you rest. . ."
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