Without Hesitation

We signed up to paint. That's what they told us in the announcement and what was written on the paper where we jotted down our names. There was even a reminder and details email sent out including instructions on what to wear for painting and that lunch would cost $5. That's what was expected.

It was a church-wide service project, and we were partnering with an organization that meets the needs of widows in a poor area of Atlanta. People typically fix furnaces, do yard work and paint. Not that complicated. And we were going to do that: paint.

Upon arrival Saturday morning, all was going as planned. Our sleepy eyes looked around the circle at each other as the leader greeted us and explained the history of organization, told us what we were to paint and introduced us to the sweet, elderly lady who owned the house.

And then we were interrupted.

We were interrupted by Precious: her mangy-looking dog. It was a small dog, probably no bigger than a trendy purse, and looked more like one you'd see roaming around a third world country than owned by a woman in Atlanta. The kind woman explained how her dog was completely fine before she had to go to the hospital for two months. A relative had Precious for her but returned her looking absolutely terrible. We listened to her sad story, made the appropriate comments and began to paint.

But not Jeni.

Jeni came up to me almost immediately to inform me that she was going to take Precious to the vet. She would put this sad and dirty looking animal into her car, drive across the entire city of Atlanta, stop at home, go to one vet that she knew was open on a Saturday, have the dog examined, pay for it out of her her and her husband's own bank account, get her whatever necessary medicine she needed and return the dog to this kind woman on the other side of town, even if it took all day.

There was no "but..." The were no excuses. There were no concerns. There were no hesitations. She quickly mentioned the idea to her husband, he loved it and she went to complete the task at hand. And it took all day.

The poor little dog had flees. Bad flees. And they were so bad that she had somehow gotten an infection, as well, so she'd need medicine for that, too. Jeni returned Precious that afternoon to a grateful woman who could never even consider taking her dog to the vet because it was too expensive. She was full of such joy!

The part of this story that gets to me is the fact that Jeni never hesitated. She saw a need and realized that with a little inconvenience and sacrifice on her own part that she could meet that need. Right now. Immediately. Done.

How often do we see someone who is hungry, hurting, thirsty, sad, confused or struggling and quietly say to ourselves after considering a solution, "but..." But I'm too busy. But I'm running late. But it's not in my budget. But I don't know them well enough. But it'd be awkward. But it would take too much time. But someone else will help. But I don't know what to do.

We are good at making excuses. And it's OK. We don't doubt, criticize or question ourselves or others when we pass by an obvious need. Excuses and "buts" are completely socially acceptable. Jeni didn't make excuses. She didn't even mention a list of concerns or questions. She just did something with the resources - time, money and knowledge - that she had.

Sure, we painted the trim on that little old lady's house that day, which was nice. She thanked us and smiled appropriately. She expected that. we all did. But it's the young woman who restored her little dog to health that she always remember, the woman who met a need that was deeper, more personal and more important. Jeni blessed her in an unexpected way by responding without hesitation.