For the past 8 days, I’ve been in upstate New York with a group of high school students. It’s always so amazing what happens to relationships when they’re put into that kind of context. We spent most waking (and sleeping) hours together. We saw some incredible sights (like Niagara Falls), met some incredible people (Like Sal & Mama Maria), and we were given opportunities to do some incredible things. 

One of our students had an accident on Monday and long story short, I spent 2 days straight with him in a hospital room. Soon after arriving, I realized I had forgotten deodorant. Not sure if showering would even be an option for me, I really knew that deodorant would be extra important! Thankfully there was a CVS right next to the hospitial, so I walked over and found the deodorant aisle. But when I found the deodorant, I was surprised to see every deodorant under lock and key. There was a big red button (pictured here) to push if you needed help. So I pushed it. Loudly over the speakers, a recorded message declared: “Assistance is needed in the deodorant aisle! Assistance is needed in the deodorant aisle!” I gotta admit: I was a little embarrassed that now the entire store knew that I wasn’t just in need, but that I was maybe not smelling my best. 

I stood there for a couple minutes, waiting. No one came. I thought about pushing it again, but one loud announcement for all to hear about my armpit needs was quite enough for me. So I headed to the front of the store to find someone to help me. I found a store worker and asked for help, so he followed me back to the locked glass case and opened it for me. As he did, he said, “You know, there’s a button right there you could have pushed.” I couldn’t help myself: “I DID!” I responded. “Oh. Sorry. I was busy.” was his reply as he walked away.

We don’t like people to know our needs because, well, then people will know our needs. And they’ll know we actually have needs. And that can only lead them to know one more thing: We’re not perfect. We humans tend to keep our needs to ourselves, thinking that we’ll be looked at differently for having needs at all. Where in the world did we get this idea? I think I know, but I’d like you to think about that for yourself.

Are you living like that store worker, too busy to hear the needs of others being announced around you? Are you too self-absorbed with your busy schedule, your laziness, or your distractedness to even be able to hear the needs around you? This week, try to be intentional in looking for and finding needs God can use you to meet in someone’s life.