it’s about lately

What have you done for me lately? Heard it before? Wondered before…I sure have.

A place where deadlines occur, people ask others to do their dirty work – asking employees to work off of the un-finishable list of to-do’s and still complaining not enough is done. It’s the handing out of big checks when the check-hander-outer’s check is the smallest. It’s the wonder of why a hammer meets the thumb and splashes blood and skin around it while the mouth opens and voices from deep within show up. Lately….as in, right now – what are you doing – for “me” ?  How much do you matter? Why can’t it be fixed right now? What is the point of waiting?

Patience. Why? that does not make….sense? Or, does it?

I watched my neighbor a few days ago pull his lawn mower out of his garage and begin taking it apart. He then put something back on it and started pulling the string for the motor to start.  Nothing. He cleaned out the under side. Nothing. He kept pulling the string. No fire. I was on my porch drinking a glass of sweet tea.

Sweet tea. It was good, too. So was my rocking chair. Olivia was with me. Even sweeter. So, I looked at my bride and felt this gumption in my soul that I needed to stop staring at and listening to the silent frustrations of my neighbor and get off my rocker to go help him. So, I put down my sweet tea with a robotic motion because it was so good I still felt guilty to put it down….and go. I walked over to my neighbor’s house. I hadn’t met him – three houses down. I shook hands. His name is Jack.

Starting fluid. It does wonders. We talked about it. He wasn’t sure of much outside of his yard needing mowed and his mower being a punk. I was empathetic. We have been there…haven’t we? We got out some tools and cleaned his spark plug, fired some Starting fluid in the intake……and tadow!! Jack’s mower fired up. He said, “That thing hasn’t ran that strong in months!”. We smiled. I shook his hand….and headed back to my front porch. It felt right. It felt current.  I wonder what Jack thought.

I wonder…are there people in our lives who could use some help right now? I bet so. Who do I help? Which ones do I pass over or which do I forget about – what is right and which is wrong…is there a wrong “help” to people? What if I’m a good person and just want to be nice but don’t have time?

What if we said, “do you want help”? What if that was a question that lingered in the hearts of people…..and they began to think that they needed help – I am not talking about the yard and gasoline….I mean in their hearts? Their habits….their thoughts about God and about life and things that matter!

Do we want help? What are we looking for…..what has been done for us? Much has been done.

I wish I had some sweet tea right about now…..

 

Blessings,

-ao