Stuck

Josiah (my 2 1/2 year old) has been afraid of closed in tube slides and closed in play structures for quite a while.  Today he finally dared to climb to the top of the play structure at McDonalds.  He was playing with two little girls and one little boy.  He stayed up there completely happy and playing for about 15 minutes.  Then he started yelling “Mami, Help!  Help!  Stuck!”  I tried to explain to him how to come down, but it didn’t work.  Then the little boy’s father climbed up and helped him down.  When he got down I asked if he wanted to go back up.  He quickly replied “no”.  

I have to say I was relieved that he wasn’t so eager to try again right away.  I’m sure he’ll try again in a few weeks and hopefully he’ll make it down on his own.  For now I’m glad there was a helpful father there to rescue him.  I could only imagine climbing up there preggo belly and all.  It would have been a sight.

What would have happened if Josiah never asked for help and I never asked if he was all right.  Theoretically he would have been stuck indefinitely.  It’s easy for children to ask for help.  They are used to needing help.  It get’s harder as we get older though.  We live independent lives and the most common words spoken among the body of Christ are “How are you?”  “Good.”  I actually had someone ask me how I was last week and then turn around and leave before I even had a chance to answer.  

How easy it is to have superficial relationships.  But if two are better than one because one can help the other, what does it mean if we don’t help each other?  What value do our relationships have?  Do you have a friend you’ve been keeping at arms length?  Why not ask how she is?  Why not offer help?  Why not ask for help when you need it?  It’s how the body of Christ should work.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  but pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10