Tip of My Iceberg

When the kids were young, we supplemented our clothing budget with garage sales.

It was my husband’s passion more than mine. I loved the deals he was able to get; he knew how to bargain and would get gently used clothes for the kids that were acceptable to the littles and appreciated by me.

Those days are gone. With the pandemic, garage sales aren’t happening.

Except when they are.

A friend called to let us know a sale was happening across the street from his home. Not for clothes or trinkets.

He had seen an electric car that he thought would be wonderful for the grands.

We went to check it out; I doubted this would be anything we would want.

It was more than I would have anticipated. The young man was selling his car to make money to buy a bicycle.

When we got home, a few of the grands came down to try it out. Ten-year-old Isley opened it up to full throttle and was cruising the cul-de-sac like a pro. Cal the Cautious, at almost three, wanted to ride it but was hesitant to drive.

Isley stepped in. “Cal, do you want to ride with me?” His grin grew.

The two went for a drive, and once again, Isley opened it up to full speed, and Cal’s laughter could be heard echoing around the cul-de-sac.

What he couldn’t do on his own, Cal did with someone who loved him, someone he trusted.

I’m not as cautious as Cal, so I’ll jump into situations and commit to doing things that I often don’t have the capacity to do. I often refuse to ask for help, not wanting anyone to question my competency or my heart, wanting to be seen as sufficient to do what I said I’d do.

The people-pleaser in me doesn’t want to let anyone down. 

It’s not a weakness to ask for help. 

When Moses was leading the Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land, his father-in-law Jethro observed all that he was doing and saw his son-in-law was overwhelmed. Moses would have times when he’d help the people deal with their disagreements and conflicts as they traveled. In a group of two million people, issues would arise. But he’d sit and help them understand God’s wisdom while they stood around and waited for his insights.

Jethro saw this wasn’t sustainable. Moses was burning himself out and frustrating the people with waiting. So Jethro suggested having people help him in the process. The really big problems he would deal with, but the minor ones could be determined by those he trusted.

At a time where self-sufficiency is lauded, there’s a hesitancy to express the desire for help. To appear needy feels uncomfortable. 

God has made us for living in community. None of us are able to go it alone without the help of others. People we trust, who are safe, who know us and won’t condemn us when we’re in want. 

Self-sufficiency leads to isolation, which sets us up for believing lies God never wanted us to believe.

Needing one another is not an expression of neediness.

It’s an admission that we can’t do life alone.

God does know best.