Needing Help?

Recently I was sledding with my niece, nephew, my wife and another family from our church. We were sledding down a short but steep hill. At one point in the hill, you couldn’t help but scream or hold your breath because you were no longer able to maintain control. You had no other choice than to ride it out. Sometimes you crashed and other times you slid gracefully till you came to a stop. My last time down the hill I decided to ride down with my wife, I was in back and my feet hung out the front of the plastic sled. Ideally, I was supposed to keep my legs up but the steepness of the hill caused first my left foot to catch into the snow and pulled the hamstring in my left leg. My right foot caught and twisted my knee, which I heard snap. Needless to say, that hurt!

I couldn’t walk anymore in my own strength. My right knee could no longer support me and whenever it gave out I was in extreme pain. The hamstring muscle in my left leg made moving it almost impossible. I needed help. I could no longer rely upon my own will and determination to make it back up the hill and eventually to our car.

Now it wasn’t that I didn’t have to exert some effort, in fact it took quite a bit of effort on my part but I now had to rely on the support of those around me. Thank God they came to my aid, with their help and support I was able to lean upon them and make it up the hill and to our car. At home I had a knee brace and crutches waiting. We don’t have insurance so I could not go to a doctor.

My wife’s grandmother recently had a heart attack that caused her to go into a hospital and she is now in a rehabilitation facility. When asked how long she expected to be in the facility, she said, “about a week.” She is a strong-willed woman who doesn’t like to rely on others to take care of her. She is 89 and her husband has a similar character trait.

This past week, I listened to the family’s banter about her unwillingness to look to others for help, but I understand. It is difficult to believe that others are really willing to help. Many of our cries for help seem to fall on deaf ears. It seems like people only help because they have to help and so it is easier to just continue to carry the burden alone. It seems that we always respect those that “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps,” maybe that is because it doesn’t cost us any time, energy or expense when someone does.

Which is right? To only tell your burdens to God and pray that He alone will move heaven and earth to provide help, or is it better to let your needs be made known and appear weak? People say that fending for yourself is a pride thing, but then we immortalize great men of silent faith like George Mueller who never told anyone a need but only prayed to God to meet the need. Hudson Taylor, a contemporary to Mueller, believed that his needs and needs of China should be made known. Who was right? Even then it was a controversy.

Personally, I dislike asking for help. Personally, I am a bit wounded by the concept that the modern day church really cares. I have seen very little caring for the needs of others in the modern church. I have grown to believe that people, even in the church, only want to be blessed – not to be a blessing. While I could teach a Bible study as to why this is wrong, I have to admit that I have often let the focus on my own needs distract me from being a blessing to others. This is wrong and it is my determined goal for the upcoming year to change this about myself. I sincerely believe that God didn’t call us merely to be blessed but to be a blessing.

I have come to believe that I will always be in need, so maybe my life can be an example for others. God help us as the church to be who He has called us to be. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:10). Are you needing help? Let me know and I will do all I can till your need is met.

Phil 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.