I knew that I should duck the assignment.

The manager, a guy I'll call Tim, was notorious for promising products no one wanted to deliver with deadlines no one could meet. Conventional office wisdom was to dive for cover when he came looking for someone to help him deliver on one of his ill-conceived commitments.

Today he was asking me to bail him out. A team that had worked six months on his project had informed him the requisite computer programming couldn't be done. To make things worse, the scheduled delivery date was only weeks away.

As I listened politely, something unexpected happened. My head was ready to say, "Sorry, can't help," but my heart said, "He's your brother and needs your support."

No, he's not literally my brother. But I believe in one universal divine Parent -- God. This pretty much adds up to a conviction that other people are not merely acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors, but actually family, when you look at them spiritually.

And, at this moment, I was feeling compelled to approach this whole problem spiritually. I recognized the idea about Tim being my brother as a direct message coming from God, our Parent. I've learned to pay attention to these inspired thoughts, even when they lead me into situations I'd rather avoid. The divine Love that is God has a perspective often very different from my limited view of things. Sensing that Love was trying to show me something, I listened with an open mind to Tim's explanation of his situation.

I realized that, contrary to office gossip, Tim had made this commitment because of enthusiasm for the product, respect for his staff's talents and some courageous dreaming. Now he realized the seriousness of the situation and was asking for help.

Enthusiasm, respect for others, courage, humility -- these are spiritual qualities that come from that common divine Parent. I love these qualities and feel a brotherhood with those who express them.

I agreed to tackle Tim's project.

I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I knew from experience that when I obey Love's inspiration and act with the motive of unselfishly helping another that things work out. When my actions are motivated by Love, I find that I can tap into a deep well of divine inspiration and energy that is way beyond my own capabilities. I listened for Love's guidance -- and I received it! I got some original ideas that gave us a whole new approach to creating the programming needed.

The product was ready in four days. Not only did it meet Tim's need, it blessed me as well by winning two awards from a professional organization. The best reward for me however, was experiencing what Love can do when I listen and unselfishly yield to Love's inspiration.