May I Help You?

I was reading something today that brought back memories of how things used to be, but I think has somehow been lost at least here in Las Vegas.

We have become a fast-paced group that doesn't seem to have the time to help out our neighbors the way we once used to.

I think in some parts of the country it is the way it used to be, but not as frequent as in the past.

I'm sure some of you have heard the expression of helping with a barn raising.

For the younger readers out there, the expression came from a time when people helped out their friends and neighbors when they were building their barn.

If someone was building a barn, at a given time on a Saturday all the friends and neighbors would show up with their families to help. The kids would all go off to play, the men would all start building the barn, the women would set up tables and prepare food for the entire group to enjoy at the end of the day.

Times were hard, money tight and that was just one thing people helped people do.

People were not afraid to help people no matter how big or how small the project. Of course back then if you were helping someone, you didn't have to worry about being sued by the person you were helping.

Maybe with the way things are going in the country today we will be more inclined to go back to helping others.

It doesn't have to be a major project like building a barn, it can be as simple as helping someone with changing a light bulb, gathering their mail while they are out of town or simply listening to them when they need to talk to someone.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to help people fix things, help them move or similar things of that nature and the funny thing is, though they appreciate the help, I feel great because I had the opportunity to in some small way help someone else.

I have always heard the expression "we are a can do country" and just figured that was penned meaning our country was a can do country.

I submit to my readers, that can do expression may have meant the people in our country not the country itself and originated from a person saying out loud "I wish I knew how to fix or build this or that" to which a friend or neighbor replied "I can do that, when do you want me to come over and help?"

I started by saying I read something that got me thinking and gave me the idea for my post today.

The following is the story I read which I would like to share.

A friend of mine grew up very poor. He remembers walking out on the front porch one day. They didn't have any dinner the night before. He walks out on the front porch. He's getting ready for school and there are groceries all stacked up right there by the doorbell -- the door after the doorbell had rang. He walks out and the neighbor lady who he's sure was the one who left those groceries, she was out by her car and he came out and he looked at all the groceries and he said, "Where did these come from?" She said, "I don't know what you're talking about." He said, "All these groceries." She said, "I don't know what you're talking about. Lord just must know that you guys have been hungry. I'd take them in, put those blessings on your counter."

I think that story illustrates that we need to take a step back and be who we really are.