By
Dana Rausch
/ August 10, 2015
The phone rang and I received a desperate phone call from a friend who was in fretful tears. A common friend between us was out of state with her children spreading her husband’s ashes who had passed away a few months prior. While away she had a flood in her house. Since my husband is in that line of business my friend called for help. My husband dropped everything to race over there and help.
God took the opportunity to teach a life lesson to me and my pre-teen granddaughter.
At home without a car and anticipating an online class in forty five minutes, Janae and I decided to jump in the pool for 30 minutes. Our bathing suits on ready to jump, my phone rang. My husband was asking if I could come over and help my friend with the wet clean-up for our mutual friend.
“Sure”, I responded, “Come pick me up.” I then turned to my granddaughter and said, “We can’t go swimming now. I need to go help my friend.”
“WHAT? Don’t you have a class in 45 minutes?” was her appalled response.
“Yes I do” I replied, “but I am not going to be able to do it. I need to go help my friend.”
Still dismayed she asked me, “Why do you always do this? Why do 
you always put the needs of others before your own?” Shaking her little head she continues, “Gosh Grandma, you have things important to you but you always push those aside to go help people.”
Yes, she used “always” three times. And I wish it was said in a tone of warmth and understanding, but it wasn’t. It was used in a common manner of a pre-teen.
Yet, what a valuable lesson this proved to be to both of us.
First, I got to see what she sees in me. I didn’t realize that I “always” drop what is important to me in order to help others. How awesome to realize my granddaughter sees what I do and not just what I say. She observed my Christian talk matches my walk.
Secondly, she was able to learn a lesson on selfishness. Committed friends make sacrifices. In this “ME” world we need to put ourselves aside and help friends. Friendship is about being there when needed even when it messes up our plans.As it turned out, my husband called minutes later to say I wasn’t needed. Therefore, after experiencing this life lesson, we got to go swimming. I was able to do my online class. And my granddaughter witnessed my faith in action.
I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw. Proverbs 24:32