July 31, 2024 “Can I help?” When I asked that question, the woman was standing on the bottom shelf of a retail display in the grocery store as she attempted to reach an item sitting back a bit on the top shelf. She turned around to face me, stepping down from the shelf as she did so. At a fraction of an inch shy of six feet tall, I’m taller than the vast majority of people. This woman was part of that vast majority. I was easily 10 inches taller than her, maybe more. “Please,” she responded. “That would be great.” I didn’t even need to stand on my toes to grab the item. I handed it to her in seconds and asked if she needed only one. She thanked me for getting it and said she was all set. “That was incredibly sweet of you,” she said. “No big deal,” I said. “The height comes in handy sometimes.” “Maybe it’s not a big deal to you, but it’s a big deal to me,” she responded. “I was never going to reach it, and that probably wasn’t very safe.” We parted ways, smiling. In the past few months, several people have pointed out that I seem to act on the belief that deeds/tasks/accomplishments have to be difficult to be worthwhile or important, and God has put it on my heart to work on that habit. But I did it again that day at the grocery store with my “no big deal.” God gifted each of us with our own combinations of attributes, skills and talents; no two people are completely the same. A task that’s easy for one person may be impossible for another. God gave us our gifts to use to serve and glorify him. Using our gifts to help others is one way we can do that. If we’re using gifts given to us by God to easily assist another of His children, that’s a big deal! While I still regularly fall into that habit still, occasionally God gives me the grace to handle those situations better. Since it’s not uncommon to see people at stores who are struggling to reach desired merchandise, I hope to respond better the next time someone suggests using my height to get their item was kind or helpful. Maybe I’ll say, “thank you. This height can be a blessing.” God’s going to need to help me get there, though. |
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