I love teaching 2 & 3 year olds! They can be quite a challenge at times, but they also bring immeasurable joy. This is the age when they become more aware of their surroundings. They begin to say, "I can do it myself" and "I'm a big girl now." Indeed the more they realize they can do, the more they want to do on their own. It is all a natural part of growing up. Children learn by doing and without the desire - the inner drive to do things on their own, they won't develop and grow as they should.
In our classroom we have a semi circular table that is elevated. The chairs we use at the table are like the wooden high chairs you see in restaurants. They have no trays on them so they can be pushed right up to the table. The chairs are built in such a way that the children eventually learn how to climb up into them. Getting down however, is usually a different story as one of my students found out one Wednesday night.
She had climbed up into her chair "all by herself" at the beginning of class and had no problem whatsoever. When the bell rang signaling that class time had come to an end, I walked around the table to help the children down out of the chairs. But this little lady insisted on getting down herself. So she stood up in the chair and put her right leg over the chair trying to reach down with her leg far enough to touch the rail across the base of the chair and use it for a step. It was too much of a stretch for her, she couldn't reach it. So she tried the same thing with her left leg over the other side of the chair. She didn't have any better luck that time. So she stood up again - straight up in the chair and looked down at the floor and then up at me.
Finally, as she was standing there she said, "Mrs. Robin I can't get down."
"I see that," I said.
"I think I might fall, so I think I need help."
"OK," I said stepping closer to her.
"I think you better hurry!"
Of course, I got her down with no mishaps. She never got frustrated or upset that she couldn't get down. She didn't begrudge the fact that she had to ask for help. On the contrary, she seemed quite happy that someone was there to help her. She merely sized up her situation, reaized it was too big for her to handle on her own and then asked for help -- and asked for the help to come quickly!
How many times do we do just the opposite of my little friend? How many times do we keep trying to handle all our problems on our own without asking anyone for help? How much better off would we be if we sized up our situation and then reached out to a sister for help? If we simply looked at one of our sisters and said, "I'm having a little trouble her. I am really struggling with this. Can you help me?"
What is it that keeps us from asking for help when we need it in our Christian lives? We all have struggles and trials. Sometimes they are of a very spiritual nature perhaps over a weakness we are trying to overcome. Sometimes we need help with very practical earthly life things. Recently, one of my sweet sisters had knee replacement surgery. Circumstances were such that she did not have family close by to help her out. So several of her sisters pitched in to make sure she was taken care of. At first, she didn't want to ask for help because she didn't want to impose --but when one of us offered to do something very specific and someone else said they could do this --and so on, she realized that with everyone pitching in she would not be asking too much of any of us. Besides, there was so much love flowing through that group of sisters that she understood we wanted to help because we loved her. Isn't that what the church is all about? Aren't we supposed to "bear one another's burdens."
We are to be so close knit as the family of God that we are not afraid to ask for help. We should trust our brothers and sisters to take care of us because after all, they do have Christ living in them. Christians are supposed to be willing to be used in the Lord's service. As I mentioned earlier, it should also be this way in spiritual matters. Christ's church is supposed to be so loving to one another that we can ask for prayers or advice without fear of being criticized or made fun of in any way.
Just as we should understand it is OK to ask for help -- we should also understand that we should do our best to help someone who needs us to be there for them. We should be loving and kind enough to our church family that they know they can depend on us for any type of help they need. There are so many ways we can help out our fellow brothers and sisters. Many many times just listening - just simply being there is a wonderful and welcome relief!
Finally, we should never be so full of ourselves that we aren't willing to size up our situation and ask for help from our Heavenly Father when it is needed. We can't take on everything -- well, we are not supposed to take on anything without going to our God for help. So often we try to hold onto all our troubles and cares instead of going to the Father and saying - "I think I might fall, so I think I need help -- and please hurry." Jude 24 says He is able to keep us from falling. He will be there for us. Consider the words of Peter "Casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you." I Peter 5:7. Of course Christ cares for us..He died for us. He has reconciled us to His Father!
God never meant for us to go through this life alone. From the very beginning of creation, He has wanted to be there for us. He used to come and walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of evening. Jesus promised that "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him and we will come unto him, and make our abode with Him." Jn. 14:23. What a comfort it is to know that if we are keeping Christ's commandments, He and God are abiding with us! And if They are with us - then surely we will have the help that we need. All we have to do is ask.
So if you realize you have a sister or brother who might need your help, be there for them. Let God use you to comfort them. On the other hand, if you find yourself about to fall - if you see that you need a little help -- then reach out and ask for it because He "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." Ephesians 3:20 What an amazing God we have!
Christ above all things,
Robin
No comments:
Post a Comment