Helping Hands

For some unknown reason, people are extremely generous to me. It seems that whenever I have a need others step in to offer a helping hand. For this I am grateful.

March has been a month of sickness at our house. We have only had brief respites between colds and viruses. A few weeks ago I had a nasty cold and my good friend Jen brought over dinner for my family. Last week when I was knee deep in Gracie's stomach bug, my sweet neighbor Pam brought over a delicious meal, hot from the stove and ready to put on the table for my family. A gaggle of delighted boys ran to my door holding yummy dishes while Jack yelled, "they are coming."

Homecooked meals during times of sicknesses are the best blessing. Nourishment for the body and the soul. A reminder of the friendships we have cultivated and the generous spirit of our friends and neighbors.

Another recent blessing came as we planned a family vacation to Disney World in Florida. You see, since having Grace I have battled with anxiety. As we worked to find lodging for our trip, I quickly became overwhelmed. The pressure of finding a fun place to stay made me want to cancel the whole thing. Just at the moment where the stress started to rain down, friends offered a solution and generous lodging gift. A relief just when I needed it.

Another neighbor recently offered words of encouragement. She stopped by my house for a quick visit and had to listen to me yammer on apologizing for the mess. Later I was at her house and she said that her house was a mess but that she thinks it is good for us to see each other's houses messy. What a smart and freeing statement. And what an extremely generous way to address my overabundance of insecurity.

I am not always good at receiving gifts of generosity. I tend to feel a need to repay the kindness. My mom offered sage advice. She told me not to take away others' opportunity to give a blessing. I am working on gracefully receiving the generosity and helping hands so often offered.

For now I will just say thank you and offer my genuine gratitude for the love and blessings.