I couldn't have done it without them

It was this past January, and I was planning to take a self-portrait for my photography class in the early morning light of the sunrise at a nearby park. Although my mental image of the picture I wanted to make was pretty elaborate and involved me standing in the cold without a coat, I didn't want to ask anyone to help me with it because I didn't want to be a burden.

Fortunately, my friend Julie happened to call the night before I was going out to take the picture. When I explained my plan for the next morning, she, in her wisdom and love, said, "It sounds like you could use some help."

I refused at first because I didn't want her to have to get up early to stand in below-freezing temperatures for an extended amount of time for a purpose that I saw as only benefiting myself. She persisted in her offer, though, and by the end of the conversation we had decided to meet early the next morning.

When my alarm rang at 5:15 a.m., I'm not sure if I would have actually gotten up in the dark and cold to follow through with my idea for the photograph if it hadn't been for Julie's text message asking me if I was awake. She also informed me that our friend Claire, to whom she had mentioned the project the night before, also wanted to come with us. My friends' willingness to love me so enthusiastically and selflessly made me amazed at God and his love and goodness to me, showing me that I am not a burden, but a blessing.

I could not have done it without them. They took care of me in the cold, ready with my coat and towels to wrap around me as soon as the picture was taken. Their dedication to my idea conveyed through their words, attitudes and presence encouraged me to keep persisting in the cold until I got the image I had envisioned. If I had been on my own, I probably would have given up long before that happened, or settled for something less.

The morning was a sacred experience. It was beautiful to be a part of the sunrise, marveling at God's splendor together. On the car ride back to Julie's house for breakfast, we agreed it was a highlight of our college experiences, a blessing that wouldn't have happened if help hadn't been offered and accepted.

This experience taught me that asking for help requires us to overcome our fear that we are burdens, and instead believe the truth that we are enough. Our presence is a blessing, and when we open up to ask others for help it is a gift to them that allows the blessings that come from helping others to flow into their lives. It allows those we ask for help to claim the gifts they've been given and share them with others for a greater good. It gives others an opportunity to serve God and experience him in a new way, and it gives us a chance to know God more deeply and be blessed by him.

Mia Pohlman is a Perryville, Mo., native studying at Truman State University. She loves performing, God and the color purple -- not necessarily in that order.