This sign has been hanging in our house for several years and I’d like to think it is a family motto. I have made it my Facebook cover photo repeatedly and shared it with people to provide inspiration. However, I just noticed that this says “if” not “when.” It never dawned on me before that lifting is a choice.
This quote makes me think of a car on top of a person and a group of people working together to lift the car. They do together what each of them can not do alone. I am a person that will pitch in and lift, do my part. My expectation has been that, given the chance, everyone would pitch in and lift. That expectation came screeching to a halt today. The reason why isn’t the important thing, but my perspective shift is.
If you came upon a car flipped over on a person would you immediately jump in to help or would you wait for “them” to do it? Would you be frozen by fear?Not want to take a risk? Not want to be bothered? Think it’s more important to record the event? Yeah, I think if most people are honest the reason they wouldn’t pitch in is that they don’t want to be bothered. That’s a pretty sad state of affairs for our world.
There is no question that I would do what I could. If not me than who? Is it genetic? A personality thing? Generational? Naive? Am I a busybody not minding my own business?
What if it was a much simpler prospect like, say, moving something heavy? Just because I asked for help moving something does not mean that I can’t do it alone, but rather why should I? Asking for help with a burden doesn’t show weakness necessarily, although it could. Who wouldn’t stop to help when asked?
I get that some people might hesitate to jump in and help lift a burden if the help was unsolicited, but who wouldn’t help when asked?
It dawned on me today that some people feel imposed upon when asked to help and I am straining to understand these people. Some people want to keep their head down, stay in their lane, pretend they don’t see an opportunity, stay politically correct, not ruffle feathers or whatever. What a sign of our times.
What is the hardest thing you have ever had to do? Physically? Emotionally? Mentally? I think I have a top 5, but I really need to think about it and scan my life.
Because of who I am I walked across a field and apologized to someone who didn’t deserve it.
I stood across the room from my 3-year old, crying “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy” after he had surgery so he would take steps toward me and begin healing.
There’s a gruesome childbirth story that involves a sadistic nurse turning off the epidural and 2 hours of pushing.
Walking into a new high school as a 16-year old and eating lunch in the library for a week rather than sit in the cafeteria alone.
There are other hard things that I have summoned the strength and/or courage to do, but by far my favorite is to come alongside someone to help shoulder their burden. It is a gift to someone help but, because of God’s economy, the helper receives a gift as well.
So think of your hard things….I’ll wait. If you are so inclined please message me or comment her. I can’t make any of the hard easier, but I can come alongside and see you. Perhaps if I take a little of your burden it won’t feel so terrible.
Very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts.
quicksdontquit 