Helper Days

When i was in kindergarten there was a special day that we all looked forward to. This special day was called "helper days". In fact, every day was a "helper day". Each day there were two helpers. One boy and one girl. When you were the helper you got to do cool and special things. You got to wear a helper pin. It was real big so everyone could see that you were the helper. You also got to stand at the front of the line to lead the class out to the guy and music class. And if there were crayons to hand out to the tables, the helpers got to do it.

I really enjoyed being the helper. It was a special occasion exaggerated by the fact that it didn't happen to me all that often. Thinking back, if there were 12 girls and only two days of school each week, about every month and a half each girl would get to be the helper once. Given holidays and whatnot each girl could expect to be the helper 6 times total for all of their kindergarten experience. For something so exciting as a big button, standing at the front of the line and handing out crayons, 6 times is not that often, but often enough to make it special and sought after. i always felt so special on my helper days. i remember smiling at the front of the line because i was the helper. it felt so good to be the helper, to help my teacher. at age 5 everyone always wants to help. just for perspective helper days were just as great as taking Zeddy home for the week.

But there came a time shortly after kindergarten helper days when being a helper became a horrible thing, a thing to avoid, a very bad thing, indeed. Shortly after my beloved experience as a helper in kindergarten my mother found out about these "helper days". Shortened to "helpadays" being a helper was avoided at all cost. I think the original rotation was myself, Naomi and Tammy. Later Bethany was added and then Lila. On such "helpadays" one received the privilege of praying for the meal and going downstairs several times to "get the corn" or whatever other item was needed for the preparation of supper.

Usually the holler would come from the kitchen just about the time that we were busy with homework or some other pressing matter. Usually we would try to pawn off our responsibility to whoever's "helpaday" it was. If someone was asked to get bread or corn from the basement the resulting reply would be "It's not my 'helpaday'". And so whoever had the misfortune of being the helper that day had to go into the basement and retrieve the dreaded supplies for the meal. Being the helper became such a painful experience that the very word helper began to carry negative connotations. Sometimes one would be the helper two times in one week.

Somewhere in the process of "helpadays" i came to dread any inference of helping, of doing good and serving others. Something that i was diabolically opposed to was the thought that one day i would be forced to be the dreaded helper to one man FOREVER. As a result of these awful "helpadays" i never envisioned myself where i am today. i think i would have seriously injured me had i met myself now, then. I don't think the Crystal today would be friends with the Crystal of 6 - 9 years ago.

Being a helper is not a bad thing. How opposite i am from how i was to even type this. Just as somewhere in time as "helper days" switched to "helpadays" there must have been a time where i began to realize being a helper was not an awful, dreaded thing to avoid but something precious that is not all that bad but a beautiful gift.

Today, i like being a helper. Well, i still don't like getting corn from the basement, but i know that my perspective has changed on being a helper. Some where, some time, i regained that joy that i once had as a helper in kindergarten. once again it was ok to be a helper. once again it is ok to be a helper.


Genesis 2:18 "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. " KJV

Genesis 2:20 "And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." KJV

Psalm 30:10 "Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper." KJV

Psalm 54:4 "Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul." KJV

Psalm 10:14 "But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless." NKJV

Hebrews 13:6 "So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” " NKJV