Two happy things - day 19

1. Help. One thing I do not feel comfortable with is when someone wants to help me outside of the people within the walls of my home. I know it's a blessing to help others, and I know we're not to stand in the way when someone wants to help us. We're denying them the blessings of helping someone. Irregardless, I HATE asking for help even when I really need it. My family knows this as well. My mom and siblings offered to help with Josh's family birthday party and it almost killed me to say yes. I completely appreciate help, but always feel I am bothering someone. So, besides my poor mother who gets asked to babysit, I don't feel like I ask for much else. It's usually just a shoulder to lean on that I am looking for. Today though I realized I was out of cold medicine & had a house full of sick kids. What do you do? Take everyone in the store with 103 fevers? No. I knew if I called my mom she would help if she could, but I hated to ask her to come across town just for one thing. She is always helping someone and I just didn't want to ask. She is the guru of helpers (Leah is becoming guru #2 I've noticed). I ended up on the phone discussing some things with my friend, Corky, from church. She says what she ALWAYS says, "Do you need anything?" I felt it was safe to say I desperately needed cold medicine because she was far away at work & couldn't help. :) She quickly announced that her daughter Alicia who lives two streets over would bring me some. I announced it was not necessary & not to trouble her. We chatted further with me hoping all along that Corky forgot her previous offer. Needless to say, Alicia called me just minutes later and said, "Go out on your porch & get your goodie bag." I thanked her & sent Josh out for what I thougth was cold medicine. Ok ladies, want a good friend? Hook up with this girl! She brought me: baby Tylenol, children's Tylenol, adult cold medicine, Pedialyte, soup, crackers, apple juice, ginger ale, tissues, and I 'm probably forgetting something else. WHAT??? Does it get any nicer than that? Anyone want a lesson on how to be a good friend? Take one from her. Thanks a ton Alicia.
2. Kindness. The saying, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," is appropriate here. I just talked about how helpful Alicia was. Well, later this evening Corky (Alicia's mom) had two piping hot pizzas delivered. The delivery guy (hey Fred!) wouldn't tell me who sent the pizzas. I figured it must be Corky & called her on it. We giggled about it and she told me that really she sent the pizzas to Lonnie. She knew that he was going to watch all the kids himself the next day so I could go away with my siblings and parents to the Apple Harvest. She didn't want him to have to worry about lunch. This was his first time with all five kiddos and with some of them being sick, she knew it might be a bit challenging. AGAIN, how SWEET is that??? Again, need any lessons on sweetness, Corky's your girl. I felt so blessed this day between all these wonderful, helpful acts of love and service. Thanks again Corky.