I’ve been called ‘fiercely independent’ before. I pride myself on being able to do difficult things. I feel like a bad ass when I fix my own car. Or when I survive driving through a vicious blizzard. Or when I assemble complex products alone. You get the idea. Usually, when someone says, “Do you need some help?” my response is a hard ‘No.’ But I ran into a lady the other day who is usually very socially shy and reserved. I have known her from my many prior years efforts of making sure she knew she was loved and valued in our faith. I consistently reached out to her, included her and went beyond myself to help her feel welcomed and comfortable.
At a community event the other day, the tables turned and she reached out to me. I sat alone on the bleachers as people piled into the auditorium for the event. She saw that I was alone and moved to sit next to me. I’ll be honest, it took me by surprise a little. Then she initiated conversation AND held it. I was so impressed with her ability to stretch beyond her comfort zone socially. I was even more so touched that she was doing it for me. That was very sweet.
I don’t enjoy being in a situation in life where I need that extra support from people. But I do find joy in the opportunity that other people have to grow through me and my situation in life. Sometimes, we really do need to simply let other people help us.
