Tuesday, November 21, 2017

For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helpers.          
                                                                                                                                        Psalm 72:12
        Helpers are precious people.  For almost 20 years, my administrative assistant, Betsy, was an extraordinary helper to me, professionally and personally.  I never could have done all that I did if she had not had my work so well organized and done her own work so superbly.  She had complete control of my calendar.  If people wanted to see me, they knew they should call Betsy, not me.  Somehow, she fitted countless meetings, events, and obligations into my schedule while still building in time for me to do my work.  I trusted her to also manage large swaths of my personal life-- doctors’ appointments, community commitments, and care for my mother.
         In workplaces and churches, schools and organizations, there are many other Betsys who are making an enormous difference for good in our lives and our work.  Working without fanfare or fame, they move the work of the world forward.  Yes, the world needs its Stephen Hawkings and Steven Spielbergs, and the church needs its pastors and Popes.  But the church and the world also need their Betsys.  They are God’s special hands among us.  God knows how important helpers are.  He wants us to have helpers and to be helpers.  Today, let’s give thanks for the helpers in our church, our world, and our lives.  “Thank you, Lord, for Betsy; valued helper and dear friend.  Thank you for all the Betsys in the church and in the world.  Help me, too, to be a helper..”

©Carol Dean Henn, 2017