Do you have time
to help me with my computer today? I ask.
No, my schedule
is packed tight today.
Long
quiet. He looks through the phone and
sees my head sagging in defeat and anxiety.
What’s it doing?
I
explain, and he walks me through steps to solve the problem. Me apologizing along the way. Sorry,
I know you’re too busy for this. If you
want to just let me know when you have time we can wait until then.
I
can sense he’s way too busy to be helping me today, but then he says, We’ll make this happen. You’re valuable.
You’re
valuable.
The
way I had responded to my son earlier in the week came shamefully to my mind
–when he asked me to drive him somewhere and I moaned and acted like he was
ruining my whole life by his request.
Not
long after my computer was fixed, my son was getting ready to go to the lake
with friends, and he asked me to iron a shirt for him.
To wear to the
beach?
I asked.
Yes, he replied, and
I could tell that how he looked when he arrived at the beach was really, really
important.
I
thought of how my too-busy-to-help-you friend told me I was valuable, and I
decided to treat my son like he was valuable.
Set up the
ironing board,
I said.
“Therefore,
as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved [VALUABLE!!], clothe yourselves
with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12 NIV)
When
someone interrupts your busy day with a request, how do you respond?
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