Sometimes there is nothing harder than asking for help. At the best of times, it takes courage to swallow our pride and at the worst of times we may not even have the strength or awareness to ask. I was blessed by people who took the initiative to help me when I was going through a difficult time. They didn’t wait to be asked.
When I was pregnant with my third child I had complications that meant I was incapacitated for the end of the pregnancy and for many months after. I was experiencing such bad pain that I couldn’t even begin to think about what I might need help with, let alone ask for it.
I am forever grateful for my church community that rallied round to look after my family while I couldn’t. People brought meals, did the ironing, looked after my kids and much more. People noticed things that needed doing that I couldn’t even notice myself. The care of friends and family during that time carried us through circumstances we hadn’t expected.
Jaime Thurston say in her book, Kindness: the little thing that matters most:
“If you think someone could do with some help, take the initiative. Offer to carry a pram up stairs, take a meal to someone undergoing chemo, carry someone’s tray if they have their hands full. It doesn’t matter if they decline. A kind offer is never wasted.’
So as you go about your day, be aware of those small opportunities to offer help to those who may feel unable to ask for it.