Catching Ourselves Before the Breaking Point

I’m still learning – I can’t imagine how thick God’s teacher’s guide is – to come to Him before the breaking point, when I still think I can handle what’s before me.

Since God is willing to help us with four challenges,  certainly He will walk with us in just one. Sounds like a homeschool teacher to me.

When Self-Sufficiency Meets Its Breaking Point

When one thing goes wrong, I think:

  “I can handle this; thank You, God, for being with me.”

When two things go wrong, I pray:

  “I can handle this; God, please help me.”

When three things go wrong, I realize:

  “Hmmm, I can’t really handle this; God I need you a LOT.”

When it gets past three, I cave to the reality:

  “John 15 is so right. Without You, I can do nothing. Here You go. It’s all Yours. What’s my role in all of this?”

The Earlier We Catch Ourselves

Over many years of challenges, I’ve come to understand this:

The earlier we catch ourselves in self-sufficient mode and go to God for help, the more peace we will experience.

Sounds Like Homeschooling, Yes?

The earlier our children recognize their need for help, the easier the learning process becomes. For everyone.

Circumstances may not change just because we notice and admit our weakness, but perspective will. 

We will remember we have our Father God, our Creator, working in our hearts as well as our circumstantial lives.

When our children reach out for help from their homeschooling parents, they will realize they have someone playing in their court, someone cheering from the sidelines, someone coaching in the locker room of life, as well as someone cleaning the shower after a rough day on the field.

Weakness: A Calling Card from Our Heavenly Father

Even now, post-graduation, enjoying the glow of being a completed homeschooler, life comes in waves of challenge.

The years spent discovering that the quicker one realizes weakness as a gift, a calling card from our Heavenly Father, the easier it becomes to turn to Him when the trial count is still low and confidence felt is still high.

Why Do Children Wait Until the Breaking Point?

Why do our children wait until they reach the breaking (melting) point?

Probably like adults, up until the boil, the water doesn’t seem so hot.

Until we see bubbles forming on the surface – until we can see the manifestations of stress – we don’t think we have a pot of – or are in a lot of – hot water.

We call for help when we see we need help.

Our children call for help when they see they need help.

Adults and Children: Similarities in Trouble

• We adults want to do it ourselves. They, the children, want to do it themselves.
• We think we should be able to do it ourselves.  They think they should be able to do it themselves.
• We think we’ll never be able to do it, so why try?  They think they will never be able to do it, so why try?
• We think our problem is too trivial to ask for help with.  They think their problem is too trivial to ask for help with.
• We need our Heavenly Father’s welcoming presence, “It’s okay to be weak. Come, ask for help.”  They need their parent’s welcoming presence, “It’s okay to not know the answer. Come, ask for help.”

We All Need Help

Like children, we adults all need help when life gets beyond our scope. It’s what we do with the need that makes the difference.

“Mawwwwwm, I neeeeeed hellllllp with my hooooomeworrrrrrk!”

Ahhh, music to a homeschool mama’s ears!