RELY
December 17, 2021
Prayer: I am happy to rely on You, Lord. Today, I want to stay in step with You and not run away on my own. I feel comfort knowing You are merciful when I make a mess. Thank You, mighty God. Amen
Scripture: Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up. Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of His servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. Isaiah 50:7-10 NIV
While getting ready for school one morning, my daughter Emily Sara was told to go get all the supplies that we needed, and then I would braid her hair. She took off up the stairs and yelled back those four words that can absolutely break a Mother’s heart, “I don’t need you.”
Now you should know that Emily Sara was six years old with long hair that passed her hips. I knew that she NEEDED me to braid all that hair, but she thought that she could handle it on her own and so I waited downstairs. Time passed and I called up to her that the bus would be here soon – no reply. I called a five-minute warning – still no reply. Another minute passed, and I began to walk upstairs and asked, “Emily is your hair braided?” She called out, “Don’t come in!” as I walked into her room and found her with more knots in her hair than a Barbie doll that had been stuffed in a drawer for months.
Emily Sara knew she needed to cover for herself so she sat up proudly and said, “I decided to do it another way.” “So you meant for it to turn out this way?” I asked. “Yep!” she exclaimed.
Well, there was no way I could let her go to school and suffer the teasing of the whole class. Moving her to look at herself in the mirror I asked, “Would you like me to braid it?” Luckily she was not so stubborn that she wanted to go to school looking like that, and she took the pain while I carefully brushed out each knot then drove her to school. She was very grateful.
I realized how often God must go through this scenario with us. How often have I run away to complete a task I am not nearly capable of accomplishing calling out to God, “I don’t need you,” as if He is going to be so proud of me for taking off and doing this myself. As I feel Him tugging at my conscience to let Him help, I remain silent as Emily Sara did, knowing that I am working myself into a fine mess.
When confronted with His presence, I announce that I have decided to go a different direction – to do something else – like I had a better idea and moved on. Then when I have reached the end of it all, I know how God gives me a gentle glimpse of the mess I have made – like when I showed Emily Sara to the mirror. Without sarcasm or an “I told you so,” He gently undoes our mess and takes us to the place He planned, the place we need to be. Lord, I DO need you, and I am so grateful!
Do you have students who think they don’t need you, that you have nothing to offer them or that they know it all? Can you think of a time in your life where you tried to accomplish something without God? What were the results? Do we ever really do anything without Him? My prayer for you is that you would see the blessing in needing to rely on Him.
Copyright Kathy Branzell. To connect with the author, email [email protected]
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This one is a WINNER! Thank you for faithfully writing these reminders to lift all of us.