We closed on our condo on Friday at 2 pm. Saturday morning at 8:30 am we started scraping up old linoleum and pulling up carpet. Everything was going so quickly until... we got to the downstairs bathroom floor. This is a space of no more than 4 feet by 4 feet. We still only have about half of it done, and that is after about 6 hours of working on it. I worked on it, Scott worked on it, Jared (a friend from church in his suit) worked on it. It's still haunting me.
On the up side, we have been overwhelmed by help from those around us. We have had multiple people watch the boys, and offer to watch the boys. We had dinner delivered to us last night as we worked into the wee hours of... okay, 11:55. But still, that's late for me. One friend and new neighbor brought over an ivy plant as a house warming gift.
Today, in Elder's Quorum they started getting volunteers to help us move on Saturday. They are also doing a blood drive, so they were instructed to give blood after moving the heavy furniture. :)
I was telling Scott today how hard it is for me to accept so much help without feeling guilty. I accept it, because we need it and because I know how good it makes me feel when others let me help them, but it is hard. I know I'll be spending the next five years trying to pay everyone back for their generosity.
One wise friend told me to not keep score, but to just pay it forward. So, I guess that's what I'll do.
Any of you ever been on the receiving end of service and have a hard time with it?
3 comments:
Definitely. After having surgery this week and not being able to do much but be ill...let's just say it was not easy to let my dear mother clean the mess I had just made in the bathroom. I should be the only one to clean my dirt! Especially THAT kind of dirt. But it's also a warming feeling to sense the love that others desire to show us. People come together through these kinds of opportunities, and wonderful memories and friendships are made. I love what your friend said--pay it forward. That's fabulous.
I just finished chatting with you on facebook and decided to click over to your blog. When I read this post I thought "this is exactly how I feel!" We had no children for the first 5 years of marriage and I loved helping others out, and really didn't need much help in return. Then all of sudden we had twins and then another baby and then we moved two weeks after the baby was born and I needed help bad. I hated admitting that I needed help at first, but I am so glad I got over it because we have the most wonderful memories and feelings about the people that helped us. I'll never forget them and their kindness...giving and getting help really is great for all involved!
I love service! Bring it on! I love it both ways. I don't know why anyone should ever feel guilty accepting service, it only brings the people offering it blessings, if you deny it, you are denying them blessings that they greatly stand in need of. So just stand by and think, you are welcome for the blessings I am allowing you to recieve. he he he. Alright so if you just stand by they will probably get really frustrated with you, and then they won't like helping. But, really service makes you feel good, so don't deny them of that opportunity. not to mention, Remember, as they serve you, they are serving their God. it is very beautiful. there are probably many people, who are just looking for ways to pay back their Lord for all the many blessings they have already recieved. the Gosepel is beautiful. and when people actually live the way the gospel is intended to be, it is beautiful. Just love the fact that even though you are way far away from home, from any family, you still and always will have family around because you know the gospel. That is the way the Lord intended it to be.
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