Lessons From The Edge

We don't need to apologize for our inabilities.

C is one of the regulars at exercise class. And she always needs help with her weights.
We use weights that can be strapped around your wrists or ankles with velcro straps. C always needs help getting them on (So do other folks. They are kinda tricky to put on one-handed!) and sometimes she can't figure out how to un-do the velcro to take them off. She usually gets mixed up about whether we're putting them on wrists or ankles, too. And she always apologizes for needing help.
My response is always to tell her, "It's OK. I am happy to help you." Then I remind her that I love her. And I mean every word.

D struggles with arthritis pain and has lots of trouble getting around. He needs assistance standing up, and moving from his motorized cart to his chair. And nearly every time I'm helping him move from here to there, D complains about his aging body and his inability to move like he used to move. In addition to telling me I'm strong (Those work-outs are paying off! *wink*), D also has a habit of apologizing for his current physical condition. I always tell him, "It's OK. I am happy to help you." And I am.

Probably half the residents at Edgewood wear hearing aids, and even then some of them can hardly hear what's being said. It is not uncommon for me to be talking (loudly!) to someone and still have them ask me to repeat what I just said. They all tend to apologize. "I'm sorry. I don't hear things very well." So I get right up to their ear and say it again. Not minding at all that they need a repeat.

It truly does not bother me that so many of these folks need extra help with things. Rather, it makes me sad when I consider their propensity to apologize for their inabilities. But this week, God took my attitude toward the residents and helped me understand something about myself. About all of us.

Have you ever considered how often you apologize for not being good at something? For being unable to perform a certain task? Not because you're refusing to do it, but because you just don't know how. Or maybe you simply weren't created to do that particular thing.
Have you ever thought of yourself as a burden (to God, or another person) because you had to ask for help?
And what about thinking of yourself as less-than because you couldn't do a certain thing by yourself? Ever been there?
I can answer a resounding YES to all three of those questions.

But this week, as I considered C and D and many other precious souls at Edgewood - to whom I LOVE to give help - I was reminded that it's OK to need help. And I was convinced, we don't need to apologize for our inabilities.