Rubber Gloves and Roast Chicken

It was Monday afternoon, and I was knee-high in packing boxes when I heard the knock on our door. Who could that be? I wondered. I opened it to find our Sunday school teacher—Larry—standing on the step.

“I thought you could use this,” said Larry. He handed me a package containing a roasted chicken. Then he added, “Can you use some help?” He pulled a pair of rubber gloves from his pocket. “I have a couple of spare hours. Put me to work.”

Larry spent half the afternoon removing, washing, and replacing our very dirty light fixtures (the house into which we’ve moved has been vacant for about eight years, so everything’s desperately in need of thorough cleaning). Then he assembled a storage container I’d purchased. He took two other need-to-be assembled storage containers with him when he left. “I’ll bring them back tomorrow,” he said.

More friends, more chicken

Tuesday evening, our friends—Conrad and Marylynne—showed up. “We thought you could use this,” they said. They, too, handed me a roasted chicken. “Now—what needs to be done around here?”

Marylynne washed the kitchen cabinet doors and glass windows while Conrad helped Gene fetch his disassembled desk from our townhouse (the movers couldn’t get it up the basement stairs on the weekend, and Gene didn’t have time to disassemble it for them).

Our friends’ help has been invaluable this week. From rubber gloves to roasted chicken, I’ve appreciated every act of kindness shown. Another friend helped me clean our townhouse on Monday evening so we could leave it spotless for our renters. Yet another laid shelf paper in our kitchen cupboards so I could organize dishes and canned goods.

These folks have modeled Philippians 2:4

“Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.”

They all lead busy lives, yet they committed time and energy to help us settle into our new residence, and for that we are very grateful.

Bless others by lending a hand

Their example inspires me to live life with my eyes and ears wide open—looking and listening for ways I can lend practical help to others: offering a ride to someone without a car, babysitting for a mom who has a doctor’s appointment, taking a meal to someone with a sick or hospitalized family member.

Needs are endless. So are opportunities to help.