I have such a hard time asking for help. It’s not in my DNA. I have always been of the ilk that there was nothing I couldn’t do, so I needed to do it all! I laugh when I think about how I was when Joe and I were newlyweds. I set the table every night after working all day and had dinner ready. My house was spotless and there was hardly ever a pile of dirty laundry…ah, those were the days. Then I had my first son and my priorities started to change. And yes, the older I got, the more that I realized that clean floors and perfectly set tables were not that important.
To be able to let go of some things is absolutely monumental for me. I’ve come to realize that laundry will wait and Little Caesar’s is not the end of the world. I try not to “sweat the small stuff,” but sometimes it is hard to do.
Last week was pretty brutal for me at work. I have been preparing to be out of work for several weeks and I was completely overwhelmed. To top it off I had a trip to give a keynote talk in Omaha and I almost didn’t think I would make it. I’ve been in horrible pain from a herniated disk that has gotten worse over the past year and I am having much needed surgery this coming week. In the middle of my week I realized something…I need to ask for help. I reached out to a few colleagues and asked for them to follow through on a few tasks and they happily agreed! And the burden on my shoulders began to lift.
Why hadn’t I done that earlier?! The relief I felt was astounding. It was as if pounds of stress had fallen off my shoulders.
I have to ask myself the same regarding my spiritual life. Why do I wait so long before I go to Christ? I don’t want to be the type of person who simply “asks” for things. “Jesus, I need…. Jesus, help me……” But isn’t that what we are told to do? Jesus says, “Come to me if you are struggling, come to me if you are carrying too much. Look at life through my eyes…”
It never fails that when I do take everything and surrender it to the One who created me that I feel lighter. I feel as if there truly is nothing I am not able to do. And I realize that I am not supposed to go through this life all alone. I am blessed to have family and friends to help and a God that has never let me down.
For all of this I give thanks.
“Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (CEB)
Today I Am Thankful For:
- Caeleb finding golf
- Sunday night Surprise Mexican Feast
- dropping in to visit with a good friend
- flowers in a Mason jar
- great benefits at work
