As someone with a physical disability, who’s also a cancer/cancer treatment survivor, I’m keenly aware that the ice and snow we’re experiencing right now can make life even more difficult for people with disabilities, those with chronic health conditions, or going through treatment for life-threatening conditions.
If you’re one of those people and you’re having trouble because of the weather, ASK FOR HELP. I know, you feel like you’re already “a burden,” to so many people. You’re not.
When I was at the grocery store earlier this week, I ended up stuck in a line for what seemed like forever. It just wasn’t moving. After standing there for what seemed like forever, I looked on the shelf beside me and saw a bag of birdseed. I immediately thought, “I should buy that.” Then the argument started between the voices (all my voice, to be clear) in my head:
“Why do I need birdseed? We don’t have a bird.”
“Just buy it.”
“That’s stupid. I am not wasting my money on birdseed.”
“Just buy it.”
“So am I supposed to buy cat food and dog food, too?” (We don’t have ANY pets.)
“Just buy it.”
So, what did I do?
I bought it.
Minutes after I got home, I looked out the kitchen window and saw the most beautiful cardinal I’ve ever seen sitting on our fence, puffed up into a big, feathery ball, trying to keep itself warm. The only reason I could imagine that it was sitting on that fence – rather than seeking shelter somewhere out of the wind – was that it was hungry and searching for food. So, I put out some of the birdseed. The photo with this post was taken about 30 seconds later.
Yes, I cried. Yes, I’m okay with that.
Matthew 6:26 says: Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
God used me to feed those birds … in spite of my stubbornness and self-centeredness. I have taken great joy – in the midst of a very unpleasant situation – watching those birds eat that birdseed.
Ask for help. You are blessing someone by allowing them to be used to help you. You are giving them a sense of purpose and meaning at a time when they may feel otherwise helpless.
Ask for help. It’s not just … for the birds.