The Question

“What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said?” asked the boy.

“Help.” was the response. “Asking for help isn’t giving up. It’s refusing to give up.”
– Charles Mackesy

I heard an audio clip of those words today, and it struck a chord. And honestly, I don’t have much else to say.

But I want you to know that help exists and it’s available.

In 1624, John Donne wrote, “No man is an island.” And he was right.

Sometimes, we can’t do things entirely for ourselves. We need someone to come alongside and assist somehow.

I can’t count the times I’ve asked God for help with something in my life. I was either asking for a removal of a burdensome situation or help through a difficult situation. Rarely have I ever had to ask for help with something easy. We don’t need help with the easy things in life; we need help with the painful events — the arduous circumstances of life.

I don’t know about you, but I hardly share my burdens and pain with others — the thorns that make a deep, penetrating wound in my soul. You are probably the same way.

I don’t believe that we should air all of our dirty laundry on social media. I’ve never seen any good come of that. That would be inviting every Leonardo and Lucille to voice their opinion. And you know what they say about those opinions.

First, I believe we should always go to God with our issues — no matter how big or small. Some people don’t believe that we should bother God. They think that God doesn’t have time for our little concerns. But He does. He has all the time in the world. Talk to Him about it. There isn’t a problem He doesn’t already know about. It’s remarkable how helpful it is to pray about your needs.

Second, you should have someone whom you can meet face-to-face and talk with. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a close friend that would listen? Offer support and encouragement. And someone who would care. Find yourself a good, close friend. They may not have the answers, and you may not have all the questions figured out. But human interaction is vital to living a well-rounded life. It has to do with something about iron sharpening iron…

No man is an island off by himself.

Humans have become adept at hurting each other. But we can also be proficient at helping each other.

Asking for help can be so hard. But it’s so worth it.

to those who refuse to give up,
– Caleb