Move Over Monday: Help is on the way...

(January, 2012)

I asked her to go upstairs and pick up the Angelina Ballerina toy set she was playing with earlier. I would be right behind her to start the bath water. She’s about to turn 4 and I knew she could do the task. A few minutes later, she was back in the kitchen and I asked her if the toys were picked up. 

“It’s too many for me.” 

A little file folder in the back of my mental “mothering” drawer began jumping around and reminded me of time when my first was a toddler. She had scattered all of the offering envelopes and welcome cards found in the pew rack in church. From the other end of the row, I told her to pick them up before giving anyone hugs. Gigantic tears flowed. Someone near and dear simply asked her older daughter to help mine and said, “sometimes the task just looks too big to start.” 

This flashback caused me to rephrase what I was asking, so I instructed my brown-eyed beauty to head back upstairs and just pick up Angelina’s table and chairs. I told her I would help with the rest. 

“Just her table and chairs? I can do that!” and up she went. 

I have a huge task ahead and I’ve been avoiding it because it just feels too big for me. Not only do I feel this way about my big assignment looming, but I feel similarly about my inability to live righteously. 

“It’s just too big for me.” 

But I have to start somewhere. I can take it a piece at a time and work my way through until it’s done. However, it isn’t so easy with living like Jesus. With his help, I can take it a little at the time and work on areas that need adjusting. I don’t always have a good attitude or put others first. I’m not always respectful of the people who need it most in my life and I get hung up on superficial things. But I trust that he who began a good work in me will faithfully complete it. I can rest knowing that I can’t and won’t get it all perfect overnight and that my Help is on the way. 

My rock and redeemer. My help and high tower. My strength and security. My healer and hope. 

I finished up the dishes that night and went upstairs a few minutes later to find that almost everything was already picked up. I helped with two pieces. Literally, two pieces out of dozens. She had completed the job by breaking it up into smaller tasks and with the encouraging knowledge that help was on the way. 

So, now it's your turn. What kind of tasks seem too big to deal with for you?