Being There for Each Other

March 30, 2020

By Roslyn Catracchia, Director of Worship

When my brother and I were growing up, Mom let us do lots of cool things. I remember when she pulled us out of class one day in elementary school. When the office called, I was so worried. I saw mom standing there and I asked what was wrong. She had such a serious look on her face. She told me we had to hurry. My heart was racing by the time my seatbelt was fastened. Once she started the car, she turned to me with a mischievous grin and said, “The waves on the North Shore are HUGE! We’ve gotta go see them for ourselves!”

Roz’s Wailing Wall

She let my brother and I decorate our bedrooms however we wanted. I remember my brother once turned his entire bedroom into a spider web of rubber bands! For my room, I asked her if I could write all over the doors of my closet. She said yes, and thus began my “Wailing Wall.” I wrote words and phrases that I felt would be important to me for life. It’s still there today. We haven’t painted over it yet!

For those of you who know me, you know I’m somewhat of a stubborn person. Okay, maybe more than somewhat. It can work for me or against me at times. But one thing I learned early on was that I was not good at asking for help. I wanted to do things on my own. But there’s just about nothing I can find in the Bible where it says it’s good to do things alone. We are a body; the church is filled with God’s people. And we are here to help each other, love each other, and encourage each other. 

When I was a teenager, I found this saying: “It takes great generosity to accept generosity, far more than it does to give. So for many of us it is very hard to do. But we must keep in mind that it isn’t possible to find yourself in yourself. We find ourselves in others. And in loving and caring for them, we love and care for ourselves. So if taking care of each other is what makes us human, we must share the privilege.” I wrote it on my Wailing Wall. I don’t know where it came from, but I still try to live by the heart of that message. Each year it gets easier and easier for my pride to get out of the way and for me to accept the help of others, to even ask for it almost daily. 

If you’re like me and you’ve had a hard time asking for help, I want to encourage you that now is a time to be generous and to ask for help when you need it. 

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way,  you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) 

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16)

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to be humble of heart and to not be stingy when we need to ask for help. Thank you for the family of God that you have given us! “Help us to love with open arms like You do, a love that erases all the lines and sees the truth. O that when they look in my eyes, they would see You. Even in just a smile, they would feel the Father’s love.”  (from the song For The One). Amen