Sometimes, you just need people to show up — especially when you’re scared, especially when you’re tired, especially when you need a little Christmas.
I’ll never forget November 2018. It was my second battle with cancer, my second time undergoing chemo. This time, perhaps because my body was already worn down from a round of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the chemo for breast cancer took an extra toll.
I had a fainting spell at a restaurant, passed out cold and wound up in the hospital for a week. It was November in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and if you know anything about Pittsburgh, you know it can be cold and cloudy. My room had a beautiful view of a nearby college, but it was overcast every single day.
Doctors tried to figure out what caused my spell. Did I need to change chemo? Was I just dehydrated? Was something going on in my brain? Nobody really had answers. But I was blessed: time passed, people visited, and I finally received the all-clear to go home.
I remember the car ride home. My son was still at school, and I asked my husband to take me through the Chick-fil-A drive-thru. I wanted a peppermint shake, because the holidays were upon us and we were getting close to Thanksgiving.
At home, I got settled in. The next day was a Saturday and my husband had to work. So, it was just me and my son. All I could think that morning was how much I needed a little Christmas. I needed the house to be decorated. I needed simple reminders everywhere of the holiday season and everything it brings. And I needed people.
So, I did something I usually don’t do. I let the fear of rejection pass, and I sent texts and emails to my people — my small group, friends from church, folks I knew in town, and coworkers. All I said was:
“I just need a little Christmas.”
One by one, they responded. On a busy November weekend, when these friends probably needed to decorate their own homes, they showed up at mine with tons of food and extra hands to decorate. My house ended up being decorated super early that year, though my friends’ homes were probably decorated later than normal.
I will forever take away two big lessons from that day:
- When you need people, don’t be afraid to ask. Ask God, and ask your community. He invites us to lean on one another and carry each other’s burdens. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2 (NIV). This is why community matters.
- Some of the women who came didn’t even know each other until that day — and some may not have talked since. But they brightened my world: the food, the conversation, even fixing lights that had been broken on a strand for years.
All little memories I’ll hold from a time when I was scared, exhausted, needing friends, and needing a little Christmas.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Friends, take a moment to take inventory of your heart. Reflect upon these questions then share your thought in the comments below:
- Where do you need someone to “show up” this week?
- What stops you from asking for help (fear, pride, past hurt)?
- Who could you show up for today or this week?
- Which verse above do you need to memorize for this season?
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