As part of a project for one of my classes, I was required to assess buildings on my university’s campus and determine the accessibility for an individual who had a physical disability. This morning 4 of my friends and I headed downtown to begin our adventure. My friends (I prefer friends opposed to classmates) were responsible for documenting the entire morning and I was trusted to be our test subject. I was role playing an individual who was injured in an accident, suffering broken legs, and as a result used a wheelchair for mobility. Throughout our morning adventure, we discovered that the main parking garage did not have an elevator, ramps were not identified, doorways were narrow, water fountains were too high, and handicapped accessible doors weren’t very handicap accessible at all. We also discovered that there were positive accommodations made to our university in order to meet the needs of those who had a physical disability. More than the accommodations, I (we) noticed the willingness of students to help someone in need. Young men held doors open, in the rain, so I could propel my wheelchair through the doorway without added difficulty. (For the record, it is much more difficult to steer a wheelchair than it looks) A store worker offered to help me as I struggled to pour my coffee from a seated position. And in the bathroom, other girls allowed me to wash my hands first so I could have enough room to maneuver myself from the sink to the paper towel dispenser. These individuals made my morning project easier by noticing a need and acting accordingly to help meet that need. (As did my friends who pushed me around campus when my arms were beyond fatigued.)
I may have been role playing this morning but there have been many times in my life when I was in desperate need of a helping hand. Life is too complicated to face on our own. We can be skilled professionals, be brilliant at multi-tasking, and possess many talents but there will be a time when we need someone to meet a need in our life. When we trust God, He will meet all of our needs. But in order for him to be successful He sometimes uses us to help others. When a friend, a co-worker, a spouse, or a complete stranger requires a helping hand are you first in line to help or are you among the crowd watching as they struggle to get through each day? Are you too consumed with your own schedules and needs to invest in the life of someone else? A simple act of kindness can unknowingly change someone’s day and perhaps even their life. When we unselfishly give of our time, our resources, and of ourselves we show the people in our life a glimpse of God’s selfless and perfect love…Our “helping hand” represents Christ’s presence in our lives. What we have to offer others is only limited by whether or not we have allowed God to help us first. We may think that we don’t have a need in our lives because we can’t pin point anything specific but we are ALL in need of God each and every day. By allowing God to dwell inside our hearts, we allow Him to control every aspect of who we are. When he is in command of our hearts and our lives, we seek out ways to lend a helping hand so the world can see His light through us. But when we choose to command our own lives and hearts, we fade into the crowd of other’s still searching for someone to meet the needs in their lives. Don’t allow yourself to be stuck in a crowd today. If you see an opportunity to lend a helping hand, be the first one there to help and if you are searching for a helping hand to meet your needs, reach up because God has His arm stretched out waiting for you to take hold of it.
Verse to remember: 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is never in vain.
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