There is something incredibly difficult about asking for help. For many of us, it is easier to give than to receive. We can write the check. We can offer the encouraging words. We can show up when someone else is struggling. But when the tables turn and we become the person in need, something inside us fights against it.
Pride whispers, “You should be able to handle this yourself.”
Independence tells us, “You don’t want anyone to think you can’t do it on your own.”
So, we struggle silently. That is why asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Sometimes it is one of the greatest acts of humility a person can show. Recently, I found out that someone I have known for over ten years through Facebook needed help. His name is Mike.
I have never met Mike in person. We have never sat across from each other at a table or shared a conversation face to face. But over those years, we have shared words, encouragement, and life experiences. More than once, Mike has told me that something I wrote or something I shared inspired him.
And to me, that crosses a line. That is what friendship is. Not necessarily proximity. Not always years of knowing someone personally. Sometimes friendship begins with a simple connection where two people remind each other that they matter. When someone tells me that I have made a difference in their life, I don’t take that lightly.
So, when I learned that Mike was facing a challenge where he needed a prosthetic leg to regain his mobility, it caught my attention. Because this is bigger than a fundraiser. This is about humanity. We live in a world where we often hear that people only care about themselves. We hear that everyone is divided, everyone is selfish, and nobody wants to help anymore.
But I believe there is something different inside humanity. We were given free will. That means we have the ability to choose ourselves. But it also means we have the ability to choose someone else. Every act of kindness is a reminder that compassion still exists. A person does not have to help. They are not forced to help. There is no law requiring them to care.
They choose to. And that choice is beautiful.
I know what it feels like to need help. I know what it feels like when life puts you in a position where you have to admit that you cannot carry everything by yourself. But there is a difference between needing help to get through a difficult season and needing help to regain something as fundamental as the ability to walk.
A bill can be paid later. A temporary setback can eventually be overcome. But the ability to stand, move, and regain independence is something that changes a person’s entire life.
Maybe you are someone who can help Mike financially. Maybe you cannot. But maybe you can share his story. Maybe you can remind someone else that they are not forgotten. Because sometimes the greatest gift we give someone is not money. Sometimes it is the simple message:
“You matter. People see you. You are not alone.”
And maybe that is the greatest lesson in all of this. Giving is not just about what leaves our hands. It is about what leaves our hearts.
Https://gofund.me/9472d3abe
