How Can I Help You?

Today I sat up in the bottom bunk and got my hair caught in the springs. There I hung like Absalom in the Old Testament tree, waiting for rescue. Fortunately Lorraine was not far away and after making sure she had incriminating pictures she said "How can I help you with that? 

A recurring theme in the last two or three sermons before I left Winchester to do the Camino, was "how can I help you with that?"  We practiced saying it together aloud during the services.  

Kevin and Jess - assuming leadership of the youth ministry - "How can I help you with that?"

Amy - looking for Sunday School assistance - "How can I help you with that?"

Barb and Dave - in the music department - "How can I help you with that?"

Bob and Glen - in various roles re the building - "How can I help you with that?"

Etc. etc. etc. 

The Camino is in many ways a reflection of life  - hence our theme of "Our Life Camino" or "Life IS the Journey."  Though the question may be phrased differently, "How can I help you with that" is an oft asked question.  Share the laundry? Share the cooking? Slow down and encourage you up the next hill? Help you find your way in a confusing city? 

How can I help you with that? 

Nothing else matters here except the common experience of walkng the Camino.  How can I help you with that? Different nationality? Unintelligible (to my English ears) language? Doesn't matter!

On a long hot (mucho calor) afternoon, with four unbearable kilometres left to walk, there are a few things for certain:

 - you chose to be here, so there is no reason to complain

 - there really is nothing anyone can do to help 

 - but ... "How can I help you with that" is a refreshing question to hear.  

Maybe it's a phrase that we could/should make popular by overusing it!