Once upon a time there was a mom with three young kids who didn’t know how to ask for help. Even when her legs and joints stopped working, as the pain of Valley Fever attacked her body, she put on the “I’m okay” mask and tried to carry on with life.
However, in this chapter, “carrying on” was hard because her body wasn’t cooperating. It needed time to heal and healing meant she needed to rest. And ask for help.
Rest and Help were both foreign words to this energizer bunny, mom. Thankfully, those who knew her, also knew she needed help, whether she asked, admitted or not.
- Laundry. Meals. Picking up kids. Taking them on school trips. Band practice. More meals. Dance. School. More laundry. Weeks turning into months.
All such gracious gifts. Gifts she was humbled to receive. Gifts that would be hard to repay.
As the next chapters were written, the mom had wise women in her life who would remind her that the gifts “could” be repaid, as occasion permitted, but they were offered without strings. The mom was humbled and challenged to accept them as such.
The Greatest Gift we can ever receive is also offered without strings.
Chapter upon chapter, the mom was learning more about grace and gifts – deserved and undeserved.
I LOVE to give but, I’m with you–the receiving part is hard. I think the biggest challenge for me isn’t that I don’t think I need help (I know I do!) It’s feeling like I’m adding extra weight to others’ already heavy plates. But I forget that God wants to bless others with the opportunity for giving, too. Thanks for sharing your sweet story! 😊
Bethany – Yes – the feeling guilt for adding to another’s plate is real – but just as real is God’s grace. He blesses us through others. Thanks for reading and posting a response.