By 7:30 AM, the Oklahoma sun was already making its intentions known.
Two teachers and I were out on the elementary school grounds, driving T-posts into the baking dirt and stringing caution tape to set the perimeter for our morning fun run. By 9:00 AM, when the kids lined up, I took my spot out on the course for crowd control. We had planned the schedule carefully to wrap up every grade level before noon, but heat doesn’t wait for a clock.
By 11:00 AM, the heat caught up with me. Lightheadedness and nausea set in—the familiar warning signs of heat exhaustion. I knew enough to listen to my body, step inside, eat some lunch, and cool off.
Feeling somewhat restored after noon, I stepped back out into the furnace to pull up T-posts and clear the course. I wanted to finish what I started. But thirty minutes in, my body gave out again. The weakness returned, sharp and non-negotiable.
I retreated to the air-conditioned sanctuary of the school library. Looking at one of the assistant librarians, I had to swallow my pride and say four words that leaders rarely like to utter:
“I can’t do it.”
I told her there was still work out on the field, but I couldn’t finish it.
What happened next was a quiet masterclass in grace. Without hesitation, she, another assistant, and our head librarian stepped out into the oppressive heat. They picked up the remaining barricades, gathered the heavy cones, and put everything back where it belonged.
Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up… A cord of three strands is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Kind Reader, have you experienced something similar–where others stepped in to do what you could not? It feels like God’s amazing grace with skin on!
Thank you for reading. Prayers and love.
For a similar story by Eric, my blogger friend and brother in Christ, please read his recent excellent post, Accepting Help.
If you enjoy micro poetry, please visit my blog, All Haiku.
Do you like family friendly short stories? Please visit my blog, Flash Fiction by David
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