Help

“Remember, you don’t have to do all this yourself.”

The words of my very wise, deeply experienced, and now retired pastor friend met me in my e-mail box this week.

We hadn’t spoken with each other in a few months, and it was good to see his name pop up on my computer screen. His first message was one of celebration and congratulations for the many wonderful (and recently well-publicized) things that have been happening in the life of our church.

I replied and listed the many, many other things that we are trying to undertake. But somewhere along the way I failed to talk about how those good things are coming through the work of congregation members who see God active and at work in their lives. Somehow I started talking about all the things that I had to do this week and all the work that I had to get done.

His reply was so simple (as real wisdom almost always is) and so powerful. “Remember, you don’t have to do all this yourself.”

True, but I don’t like to admit it. Nobody has to know that, right?

How about you?

How good are you at asking for help? Better asked, how much pain do you have to be in before you will finally admit it?

I often have to let things get way worse than they have to be. For instance, this week we launched with great zeal into what would become a nasty quagmire of my own creation.

To save us a little money, and because it would be so obviously “easy,” I ordered our “Turn It Over” direct mail postcards unprinted. The marketing company supplied an “easy” template for the back that we could print in-house. Last week I casually mentioned to Sandi, our wonderful office manager, that we would be printing a few cards very soon. Like, 2500 --- card stock --- that would need to be cut – 2500 times -- because they weren’t perforated, like I thought. Oh yeah, and the cut would have to be pretty much perfect, because the two cards, printed top and bottom of an 8.5” x 11” sheet met together at a “full bleed,” meaning that there really wasn’t any margin for error where the images touched.

But hey, we’ve got a great copier in the office. Really, we do. It’s outstanding. It’s a Canon Image Runner 3500, baby. Now that’s some horsepower.

Do you have any idea how many options there are in the properties of a really outstanding copier like a Canon Image Runner 3500, baby?

A lot.

Too many, one might say, for someone without an advanced degree in printerology. I got at least an associate’s degree this week, as did poor Sandi (“poor Sandi” should be her official name henceforth after the week I’ve put her through).

So, this morning I got to have a wonderful “give up” conversation with our local neighborhood professional printer (who just happens to be about the most dedicated SOTHer out there). I know, why didn’t I just do that in the first place? Great question.

All that I can tell you is that I hope the wasted time and heightened stress levels of this project won’t be lost on me altogether. I hope that I’ve learned a thing or two about help.

I can tell you that this morning when I walked through the doors of his shop carrying the weight of the world and the weight of 2500 beautiful, full-color, card stock, glossy postcards, the old strains of “I Surrender All” were playing in my head.

I can still hear the very old women in the little country churches I grew up in when they would sing that hymn. They would strain and stretch on the chorus, “I surrender all. I surrender all. All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.”

I guess I never really understood what all of that was about when I was a kid. Even as a child, my thoughts have always run more naturally toward achievement than “surrender.” John Wesley had the same struggle, and I am thankful that I’ve been able to study his life and learn some lessons.

Achievement for achievement’s sake is nothing but vain pride. Pride causes us to say, “no really, I’ve got it,” even when it’s obvious to everybody that whatever else is happening, we ain’t “got it.” It was when Wesley realized that Jesus had died for him, personally, and that he needed and could receive the help of a Savior that his heart became, in is words, “strangely warm,” and he was forever changed.

There was a little spiritual lesson for me this morning in acknowledging that I could not achieve our printing task on my own. But it sure felt good to know that there was someone out there with the necessary resources to get the job done. All I had to do was ask.

In a conversation about our faith this week, a good Christian friend told me, “you know, it’s all about letting go.” Truer words were never spoken.

See, here’s the thing. I’m never going to stop loving excellence. I’m just not, especially when it comes to church. I feel sure that God is a pretty excellent God.

But here’s the other thing – the more important thing. If that need for excellence is more about me than Him, we’ve got a problem. If that excellence has to look like I think it should instead of the way that God declares that it should, then I’ve somehow missed the mark. If I’m striving for some abstract goal because I’m trying to fill a personal empty place, or because I feel that it’s my “duty” or because it’s the “right” thing to do, then it will soon be obvious to all that something just isn’t right.

We should act, and strive, to be all that God calls us to be --- as a way of response. Only a realization of the wonderful help God gives us can really change our lives. His help is the best help. His help is love, redemption, grace and goodness. So remember, you don’t have to do it all yourself.

Grace and Peace,

Adam

LIFE AT SOTH:

Last second reminder that we’ll have a children’s ministry vision session tonight at 7 pm at the church. We hope that everybody can come out and be a part.

Our SPR Committee is delighted to announce that Kathryn Beasley will be serving as our interim Children’s Director and will begin that ministry immediately. Kathryn’s duties in the next few weeks will encompass Children’s Church, volunteer Sunday School coordination and coordination of childcare at special events. Thank you Kathryn, and know that your service to SOTH is deeply appreciated.

Job descriptions for both the Preschool Director position and the Children’s Director position will be released tomorrow and applications will be open immediately. These will be two separate positions to be filled by different people. Please submit all resumes to the SOTH office.