Article December 29, 1986 Issue

Don't just do something! Stand there!

Are you tempted to act first and think later? Prayer can change impetuous to effective.

Lucinda Baker Greiner

There was a time when no one ever had to say "Do something!" to me more than once. When household disasters erupted, almost before I could decide on a course of action I was executing it. And I was kept pretty busy, not only managing my own stressful situations but also "helping" with those of family and friends.

One day a person whose friendship I cherish found herself in the midst of a frustrating household emergency. It seemed to me that she wasn't taking appropriate action. It baffled me that she didn't immediately do something, but I was too "polite" to say so. Instead I started making suggestions and giving advice—rather in the tone of One Taking Charge.

For a moment I saw anger and resistance in my friend's normally gentle face. "No!" she burst out, "I'll handle this in my own way." Quickly she added: "I'm sorry if I've offended you. But please don't try to help. You always make me so nervous when I need to think and be calm! I want to fix this myself; after all, it's my crisis!"

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