Small helps matter...

In an act of daring, I have started making known on Facebook the help I need.  Small things that someone even far away could do if he/she chose to do.  Out of my 65 Facebook friends, one has taken my requests seriously.  Primarily, what she had done is to help me remember.

Today, my main goal was to remember that my weekly Tuesday appointment had been changed to Thursday.  I asked for someone to help me remember.  She did.  I should have been more specific, however, and asked for help remembering on Wednesday so that I could set my alarm.  Instead, I awoke to my Facebook friend's texts telling me that I had an appointment in an hour.  I am thankful for her texts.

Back and forth I go over just asking her to help me remember when I need that help or to continue to post each new request.  For example, I need to pay two final medicals bills on the 27th.  I want to wait until then so the credit card bill does not come due until February, but so that they are "paid" in this tax year.  So, I messaged my Facebook friend and asked if she would help me to remember.  She agreed.  But should I have given the opportunity to others?

Sometimes, I wish I could stand upon a mountain top and shout out a few things to the world.  Scream them, really.  I wish others could understand how great such a small act of help, of mercy, can be for someone who is chronically ill or grieving or facing other such difficulties.  Just the reminder of the appointment, the time it took to enter the appointment in her calendar and then to text me, was truly a gift to me.  I would have missed the appointment otherwise.

She gave me additional help this day.  Two (or three--I cannot remember) weeks ago, I received an envelope with money in it in the mail. While tearing the envelope open, I tore three $20 bills.  After Googling the matter, I learned I could switch them out at the bank.  Only, even though I had doing so on a list and carried the envelope with the pieces of money in it around in my purse, I kept forgetting to go to the bank.  So, my Facebook friend texted me at the time my appointment was to end a reminder to go to the bank.

I did.  Problem solved.  I could rant--as I did on Facebook--how little customer service I received whilst doing so, but the real memory I wish to keep from this day is that I made it to my appointment because a Facebook friend, someone whom I have never met, reminded me of the change.

A gallon of milk.
A text.
A form filled.
A phone number to call.
A link to an article/service/website.

There is an unending number of ways in which you can be of help to someone that are not time consuming nor even require your presence.  Yet those small helps truly matter.


I am Yours, Lord.  Save me!