Hi friends,
I'm so enjoying my clean floors and windows thanks to my sweetest friend Lynn Cowell. Hopefully, our home will be back to "normal" after the painters come and go next week.
Lynn's gift of help was such a sacrifice of her time and I was more than blessed to have her here. As I mentioned at the end of my last post, I've been thinking about how we do help or don't help out our sisters on a regular basis. Now before you bite my head off, I know we are all more than busy and our schedules are filled to over flowing. Everyone has more than they can handle on a daily basis, so stepping in to lend a hand sounds overwhelming at best.
And that's my point. Each one of us could use a helping hand from time to time.
So here's my idea and I'd LOVE your input.
I think it would be great if we and three of our bestest girlfriends could commit to helping one another once a year.
Now, I'm talking about your very bestest girlfriends who know that your house is not always clean and don't care. The girlfriends who've seen you without make-up and don't care. The girlfriends who know you can't cook and don't care. The girlfriends you can call at the drop of a hat and are there for you. The girlfriends who love you just the way you are, without the judgement.
That's the easy part, the next part is more difficult for some of us.
It's humbling ourselves and asking for help.
I'm talking about the ugly, dirty help we all need but are afraid or too proud to ask:
Things like:
Cleaning out closets or an overflowing basement.
Organizing our "stuff"
Washing windows
You add to the list...
Ideally, it would be great if all four friends were present to lend a helping hand each time, that way the work could get done quickly and there would be lots of opportunity for fellowship.
So what do you think? What can you add to my idea and how can you improve on it?
I can't wait to hear from you on this.
There just might be a goodie bag give away... Hint Hint!
5 Comments:
I just wanna say I'm ALL for this idea! I love helping and it would be great to offer this idea to my friends! I know i would SO do this in a heartbeat for them. Sounds like fun times :) and proactive, instead of hoping endlessly for my precious but clueless husbands help lol.
Love the blog! I bet home never felt so good!
Brandie :)
I have been so blessed by this very thing! My best friend (from Kindergarten no less) came up this summer and literally spent 2 days cleaning out closets, my basement, and even my toilets, to help me prepare our house to go on the market! I humbled myself to ask for her help and she was so very willing to come do it (not to mention she has this borderline obsession with cleaning). :) Just yesterday, I helped her fine tune her cover letter/resume for a new job she's applying for. It's so good to have someone to go to for help!
This is a wonderful idea. I had a good friend come over a few months ago who offered to help me clean out a guest room and a closet. She has the gift of organization and I don't! It was awesome and she helped me let stuff go as she wasn't emotionally attached, and she even took the bags to the Goodwill!!!
My problem is I am pretty physically challenged with arthritis in both hips, and it's an effort for me to do cleaning and things around my own house (plus working fulltime in an office) I could help my friends though do tasks that weren't as physically strenuous for sure! What a wonderful idea...we all can use a little help!
Love this Zoe, I am afraid that my little gerbil brain has just been spinning here. So here are my ideas:
1) Each of the ladies select a meal they are comfortable making. Make sure that each entrée is different. The night they make it for their family simply double the amounts and swap with one of the others. Or if they choose make enough and swap with the other three. That way each of the families have (3) additional meals already made to freeze or use that week. The cost will equal out by giving and receiving. By using disposable items nothing needs to be returned.
On the same note : With the holiday season approaching the same principle can be applied to baking cookies. Each lady picks her top (2) cookies, bakes them watch how this helps.
4 ladies
2 kinds of cookies
2 dozen each
Yields 8 kinds of cookies x 2 dozen each for a total of 16 dozen cookies each
The same principle can be done on any baking or party foods.
2) Take (1) Friday night per month and tackle each other’s pantry. Organize the food, spices and take note of what you will need or not need. Give food that you have an abundance of to a local food pantry. Maybe you can make a care package for a needy family.
I could keep going, but I will stop for now. I love the idea of helping others do things. In fact it really helps when you tackle the hardest chores and do them for someone else. I have one friend who just would rather take a beating than have to iron. But she loves to iron for me, because it is not hers and it is an act of ministry for her.
Getting outside of your world and allowing someone else to see yours is an amazing way to stay humble.
I love this and must say I'm on the receiving end more than I give help! One of my prayer partners constantly brings me a meal for my family. She hosts the Bible studies that I lead and will often have a meal for me to take home. It's so generous and helpful, because I'm usually exhausted on those days. My gift to her is listening and advising. She & her husband have an office staff and I was an office manager for years. So she runs thoughts and situations by me and we come up with plans & strategies to help them. We're honest about what our strong suits are and lean on each other. It's such a blessing.
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