Katie Rea Spiritual Direction 🌞

In a world of kindness and compassion, every act of support creates a ripple effect, inspiring others to do the same. Receiving support can lead to paying it forward, which spreads positivity and goodwill throughout our communities.

In my years in the healthcare field, I have noticed a great number of people who refused to seek help. One particular lady we will call “Susie*” was in pretty dire straits. Due to a certain health issue, she was let go from her job due to several missed workdays. She had some help raising her kids with a family member. She declined all the resources I offered stating she had to “pull herself up from her own bootstraps” and get herself out of her mess. I was pretty used to this mentality, especially in the South, but I encouraged her and stated, “You can always pay it forward later.”

She asked what I meant.

I gave her one example: There was a lady who lost her job and her husband left her. She needed help getting back on her feet and needed basics such as food and shelter. Eventually, she got a new job and slowly got back on her feet. She works at a homeless shelter feeding those who are hungry and served as a volunteer to encourage others down on their luck. She received the help she needed and was able to pay it forward when she was able.  

With this idea, Susie agreed to the resources. A year later and her health had improved so she could at least work part time. Another year passed and her health continued to improve. She didn’t need the resources at this time. About six months later, she and her older kids helped to work at a soup kitchen. She regularly provides food and encourages her church to provide to a homeless shelter. I touched base with her a couple of years later, and she was thankful I gave her the idea of paying it forward. It allowed her to accept the help she needed and then she was able to help others in return. I told her we all need help from time to time.

In Pastor Kyle Idleman’s book, When Your Way Isn’t Working, he mentions a time when he struggled with asking and receiving help:

“I think it’s hard for me to ask for help because I don’t like to be perceived as weak and I worry that asking for help comes off as whiny. If there is one thing, I have a hard time with, it’s grown adults, especially men, who whine. I even have Bible verse for that—Philippians 2:14: ‘Do everything without grumbling or arguing.’ I used to keep that verse posted on a wall in both my house and at my office, not so much as a reminder to me but as a warning to everyone else. If you’re feeling frustrated, tired, overwhelmed, stressed out, anxious, discouraged, or depressed, my counsel would have been fairly straightforward: stop feeling that way and do something about it.

That approach worked really well—until it didn’t. ‘Don’t whine; deal with it’ was my way of dealing with discouragement and disappointment, but it was becoming increasing clear to the people around me that my way wasn’t working.”

He received help from an executive coach and focused on his connection to others and Jesus.

Galatians 6:2 reminds us: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (NIV)

We are not meant to carry our own burdens alone. We were built by God for relationships. A baby needs a caregiver to grow and survive. We weren’t born to be totally self-sufficient. Somewhere as we grow, we learn from society that we are supposed to be independent, and we have to “pull ourselves up from our own bootstraps.” Yet, the fact remains that we need help at times and that is okay. Receive the help you need and pay it forward.

The power of support and kindness cannot be underestimated. Each act of compassion creates a ripple effect, inspiring others to follow suit. By receiving support graciously and paying it forward, we contribute to a cycle of positivity and goodwill within our communities. Let us continue to uplift one another, knowing that even the smallest gesture can make a significant difference in the world around us.

*Susie is the name I chose to use; it is not her real name.

Thought, Word & Deed

A weekly newsletter by Katie Rea

More Information:

When Your Way Isn’t Working: Kyle Idleman: 9780310367659: Amazon.com: Books

Need help or want to donate? Here are some ideas.

Home – Nashville Rescue Mission

Room At The Inn – Room at the Inn (roominn.org)

Compassionate Hands Ministries – Serving the Homeless of Wilson County, TN for the past 5 years and counting (compassionatehandstn.org)

Homeless Shelters | Find Homeless Shelters | Homeless Shelter Search (homelessshelterdirectory.org)