It was an awkward moment. I tripped over nothing and fell to the ground. The embarrassment that I would have felt when younger dissipated into a howl of pain.
I landed on my side, hip, shoulder, knee and ankle began a cacophony of aches. The crescendo was rising and I wasn’t.
Lain on the pavement, like an old sack of spuds, my forever pose would be something akin to Munch’s painting meeting an over botoxed stuck in the moment face. I couldn’t writhe in agony – I was frozen.
A tableau of old lady suffering.
My lovely husband chose this moment to haul me onto my feet, brush me down, laugh at me affectionately (so he believed) and restart our journey along the street. There is something about being helped that humbles a person. One so used to being the helper becomes the helped, the superhero becomes the victim, the got it all together admits they don’t.
And the type of help. It wasn’t offered it was given without asking, the intimate act of bringing someone from their supine position to standing in one fell swoop without asking permission can only be done by someone intimately known to a person.
A stranger would at least ask “Are you ok?, Do you need help, How can I assist you?” But husband of many years sweeps past all the manners of an encounter and enters into the intimacy of help.
God sent us the Helper. This Helper is there whenever there is a need. What is it you need today?
- A challenge
- Comfort
- A prod or a poke
- Something to provoke
- A warm embrace
- Joy
- Peace
- Grace
- Love
Shall we pray?
Holy Spirit you are welcome here, to visit, to live, to engage us with all of our lives, each small piece that you want to be intimately involved with we open all areas of our lives to you. May you nudge us when we need one, may you comfort us when we are sad, lonely, afraid, lost, may you challenge us when our pride gets in your way. Amen
Rebuilding Community 