Between me and my kids, we had six open houses to attend in the first two weeks of school. The first three were scheduled on the same night.

Jason and I discussed our plans ahead of time and divided the obligations between us. Our schedule had become a carefully choreographed waltz overnight, with each of us having precise timing and footwork to follow. One misstep and the whole rhythm of the week would be thrown off.

On the-night-of-three-open-houses, I left my classroom a little earlier than necessary, proud of myself for allowing extra time to put gas in my car and happy I’d be home before supper was ready for a change.

I pulled into the Walmart gas station near my house and hopped out with my debit card and phone, careful to avoid a potential purse snatching by locking my doors.

However, the second the door slammed shut, I realized my keys were still inside.

Of all the days to get myself into a stupid situation, why did it have to be this one? I swallowed my pride and called Jason. “Hi! So, I’m at Walmart getting gas, and I accidentally locked my keys in the car.”

I held my breath and waited for the gentle reminder that he was in the middle of cooking supper, that we were already short on time, and that this was the-night-of-three-open-houses.

Instead, he said calmly, “I’ll be right there.”

No judgement. No guilt trip. No debt to pay or strings attached. Just four words of love, acceptance, and unconditional help.

Unconditional help

While I was waiting, I snapped the picture above, not because I wanted to remember my stupid mistake (my stupidity is front-and-center in my mind without pics, thankyouverymuch), but because I wanted to remember the value of unconditional help.

We talk often of unconditional love, but we rarely highlight the fact that it often appears as unconditional help. I’ve been on the receiving end of unconditional help many times. But am I an unconditional helper?

For some of you, helping comes easily. It’s how you’re wired. It’s your wheelhouse. You’re naturally a helper. An assistant. A servant.

Conditional help

But for the rest of us, it takes a little work. Our natural tendencies are to offer help by sprinkling in a few other ingredients as well.

Here’s help, with a dash of this-is-an-inconvenience-to-me.

Here’s help, with a pinch of can’t-you-do-this-yourself?

Here’s help, with a side of this-better-be-the-last-time.

Why can’t we offer help without the huffs, puffs, sighs, and eye rolls?

God’s Promise

I love God’s promise in Isaiah: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (41:10 NIV). God’s offer to help isn’t littered with conditions, caveats, or exceptions; it’s packed with love and wrapped in grace.

As a mom and a teacher, I sometimes crumble under the weight of being needed. My flesh often wants to run away, hide from the neediness, and leave the leaches to fend for themselves.

But I, too, am a leach. I, too, am desperately needy.

Not just for God, but for others.

I need help in all its various forms – from spiritual to practical and everything in between. My prayer this week is to remember my own neediness when others need help from me.

May we all experience the value of unconditional help.

How have you received – or given – unconditional help recently?