“I will come to rescue you.”—2 Samuel 10:11
When my husband Harley and I were in the market for a car, I came up with a bright idea, or so I thought. “Let’s get a stick shift,” I suggested. “They’re priced lower.”
“But we don’t know how to drive a manual shift,” he replied.
“We’ll learn!”I said.
Our friend drove the car home for us and gave us about two hours of instruction. After that, we were on our own. For days, Harley and I just stared at the new car and drove the automatic rental car we had. But one day I finally announced, “I’m driving the stick to the market.”
“Are you sure?”my husband asked. “It’s hilly on Route 59.”
“I know,” I said. “But it’s time to start getting used to this new car.” I drove to the market and back, stalling only once on “hilly Route 59.” When I got home, I told Harley triumphantly, “I did great!”
“I know you did,” he said, smiling. Then he admitted, “I followed you to make sure you were all right.”
“Did you” I said, poking at him playfully. We both laughed.
Later, I thought about Harley’s behind-the-scenes help. He had quietly provided a support for me I didn’t know I had. Then the thought came: how could I provide someone with “hidden help”? There was Karin who was moving to another state; I could offer to help her with her packing. I could keep in constant prayer for a co-worker’s husband who recently had a severe heart attack. And something small: whenever I finish using the car, I could adjust the seat for Harley’s longer legs.
Who needs your support today? A neighbor, a friend, a child, a spouse? In what small way can you offer some “hidden help”? It just might lift their spirit, and I bet yours, too.
