“Just Ask ”A few mornings ago, I was fixing my first cup of coffee, and something outside my front room window caught my attention. As I peered bleary-eyed across the street, I saw my neighbor trying to move a mattress and box spring down a flight of stairs. Now, if my neighbor happened to be an NFL linebacker or a competitive weightlifter, I’d have thought nothing of this. But, my neighbor is a petite woman in her early 50s. I watched in amazement, thinking that surely her “helper” would appear at any moment. But no one appeared. So I slipped on some shoes and ran across the street; and between the two of us, we managed to muscle both pieces down the stairs and into her waiting truck bed. It was at this point I asked her, “How did you expect to get that down the stairs alone?” She replied, “It didn’t look like it would be that hard, at first.” As we talked for just a few minutes about her upcoming move, I thought about how foolish her actions were. After all, she could have damaged her mattress or box spring, or possibly even hurt herself seriously. Then I thought about how often that I do the exact same thing. Oh, maybe it doesn’t always involve me trying to lift heavy objects all by myself (though often it does), but I am guilty of bearing other burdens alone; burdens too heavy for one person to manage. But I suppose we are all guilty of that, aren’t we? We all like to think of ourselves as resourceful; capable of handling any problem on our own. But there are a lot of jobs in this life that require at least two people. But we don’t like asking for help. Sometimes we see it as a sign of weakness, don’t we? We need to realize that all of us are weak at times, and there is no shame in it; there is no shame in seeking help: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Foe everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” [Matthew 7:7-8] We often unnecessarily bear emotional and spiritual burdens that are far too heavy for us alone, don’t we? But we all have someone ready to rush right out and help us whenever we need it; we all have brothers and sisters in Christ who are eager to help [Acts 20:35]. Not only do we have the support of the brethren, but also of the Father and his Son: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” [Psalms 54:22] Jesus is waiting to help us, too: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” [Matthew 11:28] And your own brothers and sisters stand ready to assist you: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” [Galatians 6:2] You have help. We all have help. All we have to do is just ask. — Paul Seely, July 17, 2011 |