Snowed!
As a college student, I helped out with my church's youth group. After the evening service, one snowy Sunday, I went out to my car to grab my casual clothes, so I could change out of my church clothes before the youth event. (Waaaay back then, these were two separate sets of clothing). As I approached my car, now covered with a thick blanket of snow, a brilliant idea came to mind! I could climb in and get changed in the privacy of my snow shrouded vehicle!
Pleased with my own ingenuity, I turned the car on, let it warm up a bit and then started changing. Halfway through this process (when the church clothes were off and the casual clothes were not quite on), I was shocked to see a tiny snow-less patch forming in the corner section of my windshield. In horror I watched the patch lengthen and stretch higher. It was growing far too quickly for me to dress, so I pulled my jacket over me and sat huddled beneath, smiling sweetly at the mannerly young man who had created my predicament.
He was one of the other youth leaders. He had scraped off his own car and, seeing mine running but still buried, had decided to be a gentleman. He had no idea why I was not more grateful!
At times, I've been the one with the ice scraper in hand. I’ve seen a need and gone scraping away. But the person I’m trying to shovel out feels exposed rather than grateful. I’m learning to be more gracious when I try to help. There may be more (or less!) underneath than I suppose.