My focus on putting my car back together was short lived. A quick check of email revealed that someone was in need, a man with Parkinsons who card for his mother in her 90s, who had recently broken her hip, needed help moving from their upstairs apartment to a downstairs unit for obvious reasons. “Just a few items” the email promised.
Turns out their need was way way beyond what we expected. 13 of us showed up including my family of five. Five hours later we had managed to move an astonishing amount of stuff down the steep stairs and across the complex to the new apartment, most of their stuff, but not all; we also filled 3 dumpsters and cleaned, and cleaned. I won’t go into detail here, suffice it to say it was an object lesson for my kids who are all teens, to witness such a tough situation, to see how people under immense strain can survive in spite of their brokenness.
Providing help gave us a gift in return, as we left for home we all felt a sense of gratitude for what we have. We also felt a unified need to get rid of the extra stuff at our own house and clean up!
When I woke up on Saturday I thought that putting my car back together was the most important thing. Turns out there was something more important that needed to be done. Helping some fellow human beings who whose great need was revealed so that help could be given, and continues to be through our community. Thank God.
Do what you think is most important, but be ready to drop it when something more important reveals itself. Helping other people in tremendous need is humbling and meaningful. When you make your daily list and pray, ask for someone to help.
Ben Wagner (214)
Member The 365 Commitment
