Paving stones have become one of my new obsessions. They provide a nice surface when the grass is wet with dew. Now my “Yard Boy” husband wants a fire pit. As it becomes less enjoyable to handle heavy materials, I’m searching for new ways to make a sturdy surface.

“Hypertufa,” a lightweight cement blend, may prove to be my answer, but it remains to be seen as to whether it will hold up like our concrete pavers do.

We hand-made the paving stones on the patio, where I spend many pleasant hours praying or reflecting on life. One such day I came upon two snails sharing a cherry blossom petal for a leisurely lunch.

Snails do a lot of damage in the garden, and I usually kill them where I find them. This time I took a picture instead, intending to crush them a little later and sweep them off the stones. I got distracted as usual, and when I came back much later, they were gone. Even the proverbial “snail’s pace” is literally faster than my work!

Today I’m pondering how many tasks we leave undone because we are simply just too slow in starting. It is pretty humiliating to realize that I was slower than a couple of snacking snails!

A close friend has a project that needs to be completed by December to satisfy her Homeowner’s Association’s demands. She can’t always depend on her health to hold out while she gets things done. Incidentally, she is also one of those kind souls who is always there to help her friends.

Many of our mutual friends verbalized their support and encouragement, and even intimated that they would be there for her as she complied with some unreasonable new rules by the HOA. When it came time to do the work, however, help came as swiftly as snails.

I could tell she was hurt by the lack of response. However, I tried to comfort her, explaining that the people really did have good intentions.

We all know the adage, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Those intentions, however sincere, may prove as flimsy as peat moss as an additive for concrete. There is no substance to it, and the good we mean to do just falls apart as easily as my hypertufa pavers might do if the materials aren’t strong.

The real reason I am hesitant to label my friends as uncaring is that I have done the same thing over and over. We sometimes call this phenomenon “the sin of omission.”

“So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it” (James 4:17, HCSB).

This might be the toughest one of all to really get right. “Sin” itself really means “to miss the mark.” The word actually implies that we try to get something right, and fail.

Probably a half dozen good deeds came up in the last month that I was not able to help with, or too slow to respond. In our increasingly busy world, it is becoming more common for people to decline to help when opportunities present themselves, and sometimes I’m no exception. This pains me.

All too often we assume that “somebody” will do the good that needs to be done. That poor, vague “somebody else” sure has a lot on her list!

This week, let’s be that “somebody else” and lend a hand where it is needed for help and encouragement. We will be blessed and be a blessing. And we won’t “miss the mark” as often!

by Christine Berglund