Day 46

I met two guys today, but the story's the same for both. Brendan and Brad are their names. I didn't learn much else about them. However, I've not received a heartier response from anyone I've met since I began this project.


I pulled into my neighborhood at the same time as one of my neighbors. He was pulling a baby grande piano on a trailer. Brendan and Brad were in the truck with him. We parked and I walked over to see if they needed some help. His house has a fair number of stairs to get to the front door, so I figured 3 guys would have difficulty moving it in. I was wrong. 4 guys had difficulty moving it in. 3 might have been impossible. This thing weighed a ton! We were all grunting and spitting and carrying on until we finally got it in the house. While I was leaving, Brendan and Brad nearly hugged me with gratitude. These guys, who even now all I know about is that they've got some piano moving experience, expressed a palpable sense of warmth and acceptance toward me. I wondered if I ought to write about them since our interaction was limited. I decided to because I was reminded of a lesson I've learned many times before but don't often practice. Meeting a person's needs is the fastest way to their heart. Granted, no one literally needs a piano moved (unless it's resting on top of them), but there was a momentary need for assistance. I'm convinced that meeting that need gave me a deeper connection to Brendan and Brad than if I'd simply spoken with them.


This is another time when I'm strongly reminded of the example of Jesus. He met people's needs. Everything from providing wine for a wedding celebration to reviving the dead. As a Christian I believe that he met my greatest need on the cross. He saw what people needed and helped them where they were. The absolute least I can do is lift a piano.