By Alison Feinauer
I ordered a quarter of a cow from my cousins in Fort Wayne, Indiana without thinking how I would get the meat to my house when it was ready. A few months later, I got the call that it was ready to be picked up. It was going to be a 3 ½ hour drive one way to get it, and I had only 5 days to pick it up. It was a lot of meat. On top of that, I was headed out for vacation with a busy week already planned.
I tried to rack my brain with all the ways I could go retrieve the meat. I could take off from work. I could have my husband make the trip or have my cousin store it in her freezer. I could call the processing company to ask if they could store it for longer, but my cousin didn’t have any room in her refrigerator, and the processing company said, “no.” All of my possibilities were not going to work within the timeframe we had.
Stress started building up, and once again I felt like I had to do it all on my own. Do you ever feel like you have to figure it all out for yourself?
Then it occurred to me. Maybe I could ask my parents to help me out. They are always more than happy to lend a hand, but I am always the last person to ask anyone for help.
Call it pride. Call it not wanting to inconvenience others. Call it independence. It’s definitely an, “I got myself into this mess; I can get myself out of this,” mentality. This is my burden; why would I put it on somebody else to carry it?
So I called my parents who live a little closer to the meat processing company and asked them if they could do me the favor of getting the meat, and then we could meet halfway and enjoy a meal together.
We were able to drive four hours instead of seven to get it. They found purpose in helping their daughter out. And I found some humility in asking for help and saw ways God gave me people to share the burden of life with and bless me.
Why is this such a hard lesson and to learn over and over again?
Asking people for help is difficult, but when we do it, they get the blessing of helping, and they get the blessing of receiving.
We all win, and it’s really the way the kingdom of God works. He gave us all gifts to show his ways to provide for us.
“But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:24, 25).
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ ” (Acts 20:35).
Father, help me to be quick to ask you for help. I want to ask you and ask others. I know it robs me and others of a blessing when I don’t do this. You don’t want us to walk through this life alone. You give us gifts to use in order to help others and I’m so thankful for the ways you provide for us. Thank you for humility and grace when I try to do it on my own. I am completely dependent on you. I’m forever grateful for your love and help in the little and big things in life. I know you want to be involved in it all. I love you and trust you to walk me through each day. Amen
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