We cannot get by without friends. A friend in need, they say, is a friend indeed. Imagine you are walking across a construction site and you fall into a deep cement pit. A passerby throws you a rope. Would you say, “No, I don’t want your help. I’ll figure this out on my own.” That response would be insane. No sane person would jeopardize his or her survival by rejecting the help of a friend.
Let a friend lend a hand.

We bless others by letting them help us. If you isolate yourself when you are in pain and refuse help, this not only prolongs your suffering, it also hurts those whom you should love.
Let them help you.

Some people feel they owe nobody anything and that they are the masters of their own lives. But is this true? No, it isn’t because nobody is perfect. We need the help of friends who already know we are not perfect.
Be humble enough to accept help.

Receiving a little help from your friends or giving a little help to your friends are actions which bless both the giver and the receiver. This is borne out again and again by the experiences of friends. The following story is an example of this…

Howard Kelly grew up a poor boy who sold goods from door to door to pay his way through school. One day he was very hungry, and only had a dime in his pocket. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water! She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk and a sandwich. He drank the milk slowly, and ate the sandwich. When finished, he asked, “How much do I owe you?” hoping his last dime would do.
“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “I was taught never to accept payment for a kindness.
”He said: “Then I can only repay you with my gratitude.”
As he left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in the goodness of people was renewed. He had been ready to give up and quit, but the kindness of the girl gave him new hope.

Many years later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his mind. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day forward he gave constant attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won and the young woman was restored to health.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. Trembling, she feared to open it for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it. Finally, she looked and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words…

“Paid in full with one glass of milk.”

Prayer:

Lord, thanks for the friends in my life.
Help me when I am stubborn.
Remind me to give and accept help.
Amen.

—Fr. Hugh Duffy