You can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to show up.
— George L. Bell
We have probably all heard someone tell us, “If you need help, give me a call.” Perhaps this was something a neighbor said. Or maybe it was a friend. Maybe it was even you. However, despite such offers to help, how many of us ever really reach out and ask for help?
The problem is, it is easy to offer help and much harder to show up.
Maybe you’ve had the experience of someone not just offering to help, but showing up ready to help. These people show up with their gloves on ready to work or with a warm dinner at a time of stress and trouble or with a smile and hug when you just need to know someone cares. You know who these people have been in your life. You know what a blessing such people are.
And, whether you know it or not, you have probably been such a blessing to someone else in their time of need. You might not even know how much of a blessing you were to them.
We all seem to know how much better it is to give help than to offer to give help. People can tell when you are sincere. People know when you are just saying things you don’t mean. And people know when you are really there for them.
You can say anything, but for people to know you really care you have to show up.
How have you felt when someone showed up for you? How can you show up better for someone you know that really needs help?