Stumbling Blocks

Welcome to Monday.

In June, 2007, I stepped down out of the tub wrong and broke a bone in my right foot. I was on crutches for months. During that time, I was unable to put any pressure on my foot. That meant I had to keep my foot suspended in it’s boot anytime I hobbled anywhere.

I had just started working for a company that was planning to move locations. The office I started working in first was a nightmare to get to. It was in an old business park where you had to walk down 34 (I counted) old, broken concrete stairs. There was no elevator.

I was able to get to and from work on the bus, which was a definite blessing.

When we moved offices, however, the bus stopped half a mile away. The building was nice – it even had an elevator. But the glass doors to get in both the lobby and my upstairs office, were heavy, and I often had to wait for someone to come along and let me in or out.

It was a frustrating time. There were many stumbling blocks that I needed help with.

A couple of coworkers really helped me a lot, but when they weren’t around, I had to really swallow my pride and ask. Leaning down to place my lunch in the under-counter refrigerator, for example, was really challenging. The floor was often slick, and my crutches threatened to slip out from under me.

I think one of the most uncomfortable things for me was knowing there were coworkers sitting not 5 feet away from me as they watched me struggle.

Maybe they didn’t help because they didn’t know me well. Maybe it was because they felt funny offering help. Maybe they thought that unless I fell, I was really okay.

I wasn’t. I really could have used some help.

I’m not sharing this so you’ll feel bad for me, nor for my old co-workers to get a first-class ticket for a guilt trip. I only share it as an illustration for this challenge.

Since that time, I’ve really tried to be aware of co-workers who struggle with crutches, disabilities and injuries.

And that’s your challenge for this week.

Think of the people you work with, or that you see on a daily basis. Are there any on crutches? Do any of the people you see depend on a cane? How about a wheelchair or walker?

Do they need help?
If you answered “no”, how do you know? Have you offered? Have you watched them struggle?

Can you offer?

Would you offer?

Would you let them know that they can call you, text you, email you or IM you if they need your help?

Do they need help getting around, to and from work?

Can you help them find that help if you can’t do it yourself?

I bet you can.

I know, because if you’re here reading, you already are interested in doing something nice for others.

And I appreciate that!

Find someone who is having a hard time getting around and help them.

Who knows? You might even learn something about them, and about your ability to make an impact on someone’s day.

As always, please share this with someone else today.

James

Welcome Back to Service Thursday

I took my own advice today. I had posted about taking a few minutes to talk to someone who was feeling down.

For me, it was a co-worker, I’ll call Alice.

Ever since I joined the team I currently work on, Alice has pretty well kept to herself. She has a great sense of humor and a bigger than anything smile, but she just seems to prefer staying in her shell most of the time.

The best part of what happened today was that it was straight out of the blue.

We were having a conversation about work in IM and, when there was a break, I just typed a few lines telling her how much I appreciated having her on the team and how I enjoy working with her.

What I said was absolutely true. I would never lie to a person for the sole purpose of making them feel good, nor would I advocate doing that.

Her first question: “Where did that come from?”

My answer: “From the heart.”

She thought I was being a smart alec – a wise cracker. But I wasn’t and I told her so. I emphasized some of the things I’ve seen her do for others around the office, and told her I liked the fact that she cares so much about other people. I told her that her actions spoke volumes about her intuitive caring nature, and pointed out how nice she's always been to me.

Then she surprised me. She said, “What comes around goes around. It’s easy to be nice to you because you’re nice.”

I have to say, this is a conversation I’ll remember for a long, long time. I couldn't get the smile off my face for the rest of the day.

Serving others isn’t always easy – and it's rarely convenient as one good woman posted in the comments section of my blog. She’s right. Many times we have to step out of our comfort zones in order to help someone else. This is especially true if we don’t know or like or get along with the person we’re serving.

Think about it. How easy is it to stop and chat with a homeless person? How do you feel about someone who appears outwardly hostile towards mankind? What’s your reaction to someone who sits next to you in church or a professional setting and they smell of alcohol, cigarettes or it smells like they need a shower?

How easy is it to step outside our safety circle and – literally or figuratively – embrace that person?

What if at worship services they don’t know the hymns or when to say “Amen”? What if they sing off key?

What if they’re a sinner?

These are things each of us struggle with (or have struggled with) from time to time). None of us is perfect, but the beauty of service to others is that neither the served nor the one being served needs to be perfect in order for simple service to be effective and appreciated.

You don’t have to be perfect to serve someone else.

You don’t have to be perfect to allow yourself to be served.

So, my challenge today, Thursday, September 25th is this –

Serve a stranger. Do it, even if it makes you a bit uncomfortable.

God has made the rain fall on both you and the one you need to serve today. But He’s made the sun come out and shine on you both as well. He is no respecter of persons. Yeah, I know – He’s God of the Universe, and He has the ability to look past imperfections.

I’ll let you in on a secret. If you can try, with a prayer in your heart, you can, too.

Just try. That’s all anyone can expect. Don’t be perfect.

Just try.

And, as always, I’m asking you to pass it on.

James