Meeting one another's needs

Was just thinking about our little cg activity on Saturday..

We were divided into pairs and each pair was given two tasks: to observe acts of self-love of the passers-by and to help meet the needs of at least 2 groups of passers-by.
Sadly, me and Abigail couldn't complete the second task but I just want to thank God for revealing to me about meeting needs. We did this activity at Orchard Central and I have to say it's really difficult discerning the needs of others. Some of the needs we shortlisted that perhaps we can try to look out for and meet are: need for umbrella on a rainy day which we are unfortunately not able to provide because I forgot to bring my umbrella and Abigail's umbrella is very small, need for directions (although there were people standing around directory/map looking lost, we don't think we are able to provide more help than the directory/map), need for company (nope, didn't see any lonely person, or anyone who is alone for that matter around on a Saturday evening in Orchard Central), need help with carrying stuff (noticed a couple with a baby pram but can't really help as we don't know how to handle a baby pram, didn't see anyone else carrying lots of stuff who might need help). Anyway, I think only Kairu and Elaine managed to complete the second task by ferrying people across the road with their umbrellas (cg, please post a comment if this is incorrect).
Reflections on the above activity revealed something to me about meeting one another's needs. One thing I realised about myself is that I did not give up my right to be gotten correctly, to be appreciated. I don't think all the above reasons quoted are purely genuine reasons to not help another. Believed we could have at least approached those who might need help. But I guess the comfort zone of not wanting people to get us wrong stopped us from serving another.
Another perhaps more subtle learning point from this experience is the need to make our needs known (haha.. sounds funny) to another who may be able to help. For example, if on Saturday, we were approached by people with needs they hope we can meet, e.g. tourists asking for directions, it would have been a lot easier for us to meet those needs. I was just thinking, in a genuinely loving and caring community, every member should make their needs known so that they can be met. It makes those who want to serve others easier to serve others as less effort has to be spent on trying to guess the needs of others but more effort can actually be directed to meeting those needs. That, being said, I don't believe that this should warrant one who wants to serve another not to observe the needs of the people around him/her or not to give up his/her right to be gotten correctly and appreciated when he/she offers help. There are always some needs that sometimes we won't even notice in ourselves (and maybe some needs that we refuse to acknowledge we have). One of our greatest need is such a need. Our need for salvation, for eternal life, our need for a savior to die on the cross for our sins is a need we didn't even realise we need until somebody told us about it and even so, we hardly see it as a need (or just plain won't admit it's a need). Well, we didn't ask for a savior to die on the cross so that we may not perish but have eternal life but He still met that need. All who want to serve others, let's emulate Jesus also in meeting needs.

All readers, just wanna suggest that you make your needs known to people who care about you (can try me) so that they have a higher likelihood of being met, you be more observant of the needs in another person's life and that you emulate Jesus in meeting needs that are not even recognized in another person's life. Together, NYC can be the community that puts a smile on God's face.

Chingster