Three Simple Words
“Provider God, help me resist the habit of not asking for the help I need when I need it.
I will choose Life Giving Lenten Practices.” Rev Dionnne P Boissier
Six years a colleague shared a reflection each day during the Lenten Season. It was called 40 days of Resistance. Her posts were life giving truths because the messages were often forms of resistance to our society. Thanks to the magic of Facebook Memories, these jewels periodically reappear and they are always timely. This past week, this reflection spoke to me deeply and was on time.
There was a survey of the four toughest things to say. Can you take a moment to think about what some of those phrases might be?
What was on your list?
One of the phrases on the list was I need help. In this society of being dependent upon ourselves and no one else ….. Those are three hard words. But they are the very words that liberate us. These three words are also connected to us admitting another phrase that was on the list.
I don’t know.
It is when we have the courage to say I don’t know, that we are able to say that I need help. It reminds us about why we live in a community. It gives us the opportunity to give someone else the chance to walk in their gifts and help us. One of the best lessons that I taught my students was that sometimes Ms Spencer didn’t know all the answers and would need to ask for help to answer their questions. When I train teachers, I remind them of this. We teach our students that we are always inquiring and I love it
“Asking for help can make us vulnerable, but the reward of deepening understanding and connections is worth the risk” Sheila P Spencer
The Bible is full of invitations to ask for help
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
