Thursday; November 30

A couple weeks ago I was snuggled into my nice warm fleece blanket in my favorite recliner watching a college football game when I got a call from a friend of mine.  Her car wouldn’t start and she asked if I could come and help her out.  For a second my “practical” brain wrestled with the inconvenience – I would have to leave my game, put on warm clothes and drive half way across town … Oh Man!  Fortunately, my next thought was much more productive.  My memory brought to mind a time when Jeane and I were out of town and our daughter’s car broke down on her way to college several hours from home (and several hours from school).  I picked up my phone and called a couple of friends of mine who didn’t bat an eye at helping us out.  Not only did they drive down to where my daughter’s car was, they loaded it up on a trailer and moved it to where it could be repaired.  All of a sudden, my current inconvenience wasn’t all that inconvenient.  Sure, I would be happy to help my friend.  I grabbed my jumper cables (which is the extend of my auto mechanic ability) and gleefully headed to her location.  Thankfully, the issue was  the battery and I was back in my comfy, cozy recliner within the hour.
What is our initial response when people ask us for help?  Do we think about what it will cost us or how much it will benefit them?  Do we fuss about how much it is going to inconvenience us or do we reflect upon those times when the kindness of our friends (and strangers) made our lives so much easier?  Life cannot be lived alone – let’s be willing to graciously help each other because either we have been helped in the past or we will need help in the future.  It doesn’t matter if we are paying back or paying it forward, let’s be thankful that we get a chance to help our neighbors.
Think About It!

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