“The second August in July?” My husband Kenya frowned as he repeated the absurd statement I’d just made back to me.
“Did I really just say the ‘second August in July’?” I asked, chuckling.
“I meant to say the second Sunday in August,” I clarified.
We were talking about something on my schedule and I got a bit tongue-tied. I jumbled that one up terribly, huh?
I was doing too many things at once I suppose.
Classic Dianna.
It is a pretty common thing I do if I lose focus.
I mix things up and get them all confused.
I’m not ashamed to admit it; I can be a little scatter-brained at times due to the hectic nature of my schedule. This is likely why I am known for getting dates scrambled in my mind.
Because of this, I don’t keep my own calendar—ever.
I allow those with who are gifted in the areas of organization, time management and scheduling to help me keep everything balanced.
Thank God for assistants. Otherwise, I would be in serious trouble.
Before I realized I was challenged when it came to scheduling, I tried to handle it all on my own. As a result, I would book more than one thing for the same day and time, and wouldn’t recognize the oversight until I had said yes to both things.
Needless to say, that was a disaster!
Since I couldn’t be in two places at once, inevitably, I would have to call one of the planners and offer up apologies for the mistake.
It was upsetting to both them and me. I felt awful about it.
There were even times when I would record the date of an appointment—something as simple as seeing the doctor—and get it all messed up.
My brain would tell me one date. My hand would jot down another.
Who does that?
One day, I showed up at the pediatrician’s office and was baffled about why they couldn’t find my appointment.
Turns out, it wasn’t for another two weeks! I arrived on the wrong date.
Terrible.
Clearly, scheduling is not my ministry.
I fully accept that now and pass those duties off and am happier and less stressed.
My husband Kenya and I joke that I have to be “reminded to remember.”
But it took me a long time to accept that I had a limitation in that area. I felt like I could handle my schedule, thank you very much.
Reaching a place where I would even need one assistant—let alone more than one—seemed too far-fetched.
For a season, my unwillingness to relinquish certain roles in which I wasn’t thriving caused all sorts of frustrations for me and those who relied on me.
I was taking on too much. It was time to release it.
For some, the idea of having assistants is wonderful. They like to have others take things off their hands.
Me?
I prefer doing as many things by myself as possible. I like being independent and self-sufficient, but no one can do everything alone.
I’m reminded of when our eldest son Kedar was younger. He didn’t want help with anything.
That boy.
Whenever Kenya and I would offer, despite his limited ability and knowledge, he would emphatically state, “I can do it myself.”
For what seemed like an eternity, our stubborn little guy would fumble through the process of carrying out a task that was beyond his ability.
And finally, when he’d had enough, he would ask for help.
Have you had enough yet?
Are you attempting to carry an entire load on your own?
We can all be that way sometimes. We overestimate our abilities and underestimate our need for help.
We think we can tough it out, put our mind to it, throw all our energy into it, figure everything out, and come up with solutions.
But really, we need God to help us. He’s waiting for us to ask and invite Him into our circumstances.
When is the last time you called upon the Lord, your present help, to be fully involved?
Are you prone to swinging into action and then asking for assistance after you’ve reached a roadblock?
If so, God wants you to reverse your approach. Ask Him for help first. Invoke His wisdom and guidance. Then you’ll know which way to go and how much to take on.
Don’t ignore your limitations. Rather, admit that you have them and trust God to be your sufficiency in every area of deficiency.
Let God take care of you. Allow Him to hold your hand and carry the weight you have been dragging around. His hands and arms are much stronger than yours and they are forever outstretched.
To remind you of this truth, I’m stirring Psalm 136:12 into your cup of inspiration. It talks about God’s love and compassion for His chosen people and how he delivered Israel “With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
When you drink down the contents of your cup, you will realize that the same deliverance and assistance awaits you.
All you have to do is say, “Help.”
That’s it.
Ask for what you need. Tell the Lord you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of troubles. Be honest about what you’re going through and give Him an open invitation to share the load.
Go ahead and put in that distress call and watch God come to your aid.
Psalm 91:5 says, “He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”
Now let's pray.
God, please help me. You know what I need even before I ask. I give all my burdens, troubles and struggles to You. Your word tells me You are a present help in my time of trouble. I’m calling upon You and thanking You in advance for hearing and answering my call. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
If you need prayer, don't hesitate to request it. I would be honored to stand in faith with you. I know that prayer works. CLICK HERE to learn how to submit your prayer request.
