Call me if you need anything....

This is one phrase I have decided to try to remove from my vocabulary, for the most part anyway. I realize that the amount of times that actually happens is few. It is a rare occasion when people will really share what they need, and asking for help is hard to do. For some receiving help is hard or even admitting they might need some is difficult too. So, I want to learn to become more proactive, or "gently obtrusive." Pastor Don shared a story of a letter he received after Aldeana's passing that labeled her with that phrase if I remember right and I love it. The woman had a doctor's appointment and Aldeana offered to go with her but she said no. I guess Aldeana ended up showing up anyway saying that she shouldn't go alone and the woman ended up being grateful. It sounds like something Aldeana would of done.


So, when I hear of people struggling I want to find ways to step in and just "do". Instead of recently asking someone if I could bring them a meal, I simply phrased it differently. "What day can I bring dinner by for you?" They had never tasted my cooking so they took me up on it:)


So today the boys and I were again "gently obtrusive" with our new neighbors. He fell out of a tree on his property right before we moved in and has had surgeries and a ton of injuries to his hip, pelvis and back. He loves to work his property and has some of the most beautiful landscaping. After thinking of a way to help, I offered us as yard workers and leaf rakers. They have been gracious and blessed us with accepting our offer. Today was especially fun because we worked on stacking firewood to prepare for winter. Her nephew was over helping for the day and the three boys worked their little tails off. They would fill a wheelbarrow and haul it over and Colleen and I would unload on the other end. They made a game of it; racing us and kept at it for hours. I am so proud of them and how hard they worked today just to be kind to someone else. They haven't asked for anything special for all they have done and haven't complained one bit. It has been a great opportunity for us to be of service together and we have been able to get to know our neighbors in the process.


Please know I write this for two reasons only, not to "brag" or "boast". I record this because I hope it will encourage someone else to proactively find a way to be of service, and as a reminder that to deny others that chance to be of service can rob them of a huge blessing in their own lives. They are blessing me with a chance to teach my boys something much bigger and better than the 3 R's and my, my, my,



.............what a beautiful classroom.

Here is the stack of wood while we were working on it, we finished the whole thing and it felt so good!

Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth.