Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: What if the helping hand you've been waiting for is the same hand that you can extend to somebody else?
Cue the music.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: From the natural state. This is public facing the podcast with jo holman.
[00:00:26] Speaker A: Thanks for tuning in today.
Now, I know you're tired.
Maybe you're carrying financial pressure.
Maybe you're worried about your family.
Maybe life has knocked you down so many times that you're wondering whether you have enough strength to get back up.
But hear me.
You don't have to do everything.
You don't. You don't have to fix everybody.
But you can do something.
Sometimes one small act of kindness is enough to remind somebody, hey, I'm not alone. Somebody actually cares. I can keep going.
Today, we're talking about lending a helping hand.
Thanks for tuning in to Public Facing the Podcast. I'm Joe Holman.
Now, let's be honest. The problems around us can feel, well, overwhelming.
People are struggling with hunger and housing and loneliness and family problems, money problems, unemployment, discouragement, if you will.
And sometimes we look at all of it and we think, what could I possibly do? Well, here's the answer.
You don't have to do everything.
Nobody does, as a matter of fact. But everybody can do something.
Let me. Let me show you. Maybe you can listen or share a meal, make a phone call, give somebody a ride, or for instance, help somebody fill out an application.
Maybe you can simply say, hey, I see what you're going through there. You're not alone.
Never underestimate the little kindness and what it can mean to somebody who's having a hard day.
So look around. You start with your neighbors. Maybe there's somebody nearby who's else elderly or sick, overwhelmed or just simply struggling.
You don't need some grand plan.
You can say, hey, I'm going to the store. Can I pick you something up?
And that is a helping hand. Yeah.
Look around your workplace.
There's probably somebody there carrying around a burden that nobody knows about.
Maybe they're struggling financially, dealing with something at home. Maybe they're just exhausted. Ask them, hey, how are you really doing?
And then listen.
You don't always need the perfect answer. Sometimes the perfect answer is to listen.
Sometimes people simply need somebody willing to stand beside them.
Now, maybe you've seen someone sitting on the sidewalk asking for help. You know, it's that person that the others walk past.
Now, we don't always know their story. And you should always use wisdom in order to stay safe, of course.
But compassion doesn't require us to treat people as though they're invisible.
If you can safely help, then by all means help.
If you can't, perhaps you can support an organization that does.
You can offer food, but show them dignity. Simply acknowledging another human being goes a long way. Because sometimes the helping hand begins with something incredibly simple.
Seeing someone.
So let them be seen.
Think about that person at the checkout line.
You're at the grocery store, you're in through checkout. Maybe you watch somebody count their money and they've had to put something back.
Maybe you've been there yourself.
That feeling can hurt.
If you're able to help, perhaps you can. But even when you can't, you can still be patient.
You can still be kind.
You can refuse to judge somebody for the difficult moment that they're experiencing, because here's the truth.
You never know what somebody is carrying.
So give people a little grace.
You know, families can help families, and neighbors can help neighbors. Co workers can help co workers. You see how that's all connected?
Well, churches can become places where people find not only faith, but community encouragement and practical support.
So if someone walks through the door of your place of worship and they're looking discouraged, notice them. Introduce yourself.
Invite them to sit with you as if.
Ask if they need anything.
You see, sometimes that person that's sitting quietly in the back, they aren't really looking for attention.
They're looking for hope.
They're looking and wondering if anybody cares.
Be the the person who cares.
And remember something else. Sometimes it's you that's the person who needs the helping hand. And that's okay, too.
There's no shame in saying, I need some help.
You were never designed to carry everything by yourself.
And if you're the weary one and you're listening and you're thinking, joe, that's a great message, but I don't have anything left to give.
I hear you. My favorite listener, my friend. I hear you.
This isn't a call to run yourself into the ground helping everybody else.
Sometimes the helping hand you need to extend is towards yourself.
Ask for help.
Call someone you trust.
Talk with your family.
You can reach out to your place of worship. Find a community resource. But take that next step.
Not the next hundred steps, just the next one.
You don't have to know exactly how everything's going to work out.
You just have to keep moving forward.
So my challenge for you this week, Send me your feedback.
Send me an email at hellobublicfacingpod Stream.
And don't try to change the entire world this week.
No. Find one person.
One.
A neighbor, a co worker, family, member, even a church member for that matter.
Visitor.
Maybe it's somebody you have never even met and ask yourself, what can I do?
Like I said, maybe it's a phone call, a meal, maybe some encouragement, maybe simply listening.
And if you're the person who needs the help, then find someone and say, hey, I could use a helping hand.
Because that's not weakness, my friend. That's courage.
Because one helping hand can become two, and two can become four. And four, well, four can become a community.
And that's how change happens. One person at a time.
So if you or somebody you know needs practical assistance, don't try to figure it out all by yourself, okay? Talk with people at your place of worship and maybe ask what resources they have available. Or you can check out findhelp.org that's f I n d h e l p.org Enter your zip code and find resources focused in your area.
Don't be afraid to look, folks. Don't be afraid to ask. And don't let a difficult season convince you that your story is finished. It absolutely is not.
Keep on moving for the final word this week.
Again, you don't have to do everything, but you can do something.
So listen, encourage, share, share this podcast.
You can make the call.
You can notice the person that everybody else was walking past.
And if you're the one who's hurting, then you by all means can raise your hand and say, hey, I need help.
There's no shame in needing a helping hand.
There's incredible power in extending one.
So keep going.
Take the next step.
Help someone when you can. Ask for help when you need it. And remember, nobody has to do everything.
But everybody can do something.
One person, one act of kindness, and one helping hand at a time.
For Public Facing the podcast, I'm Joel Holman. I'll see you next time.
[00:10:20] Speaker B: Thanks for listening to Public Facing the Podcast with Joe Holman. Visit us online at publicfacingpod stream and on x.com public facingpod it.
