When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Romans 5:6

Dear God, helpless is an interesting word here. Last Sunday, I heard a sermon where the pastor talked about a family who lost everything in a house fire. Now, they were experiencing tremendous blessing, kindness, and charity from countless people and they didn’t know how to respond. The pastor was talking to the man, who was a neighbor, not a parishioner, and the man told the pastor that he was really struggling with accepting all of this charity. The pastor replied that the man was feeling helpless for the first time, needed the help of others, and didn’t like it. That was hard. It’s hard for nearly all of us, frankly.

I think back to when we were children and we just expected things to be delivered to us. We did nothing to provide for ourselves and we did little to show in-kind or commensurate appreciation or love to those who were providing for us. We simply didn’t have the capacity to give back.

I knew a woman who, a few years ago, had to care for her father in his old age. Actually, I’ve known a lot of people in this situation. And it’s hard for both to embrace their new roles. It’s hard for both to understand what to do and how to accept what is happening.

All of this is to say, this is also how it is between you and us. You and me. I am helpless. I simply am. As my wife and I prayed together this morning, I talked about weeding the soil in my life to give the Holy Spirit room to work in me. I cannot do it on my own. I cannot will myself to be more like you. All I can do is try to clear out the thorns of this world (Matthew 13:22) and then give your Holy Spirit room to grow in me. That’s what I’m trying to do this morning. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I am helpless and I need you. Please help me to turn loose of the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, take up my cross, and simply follow you.

I pray all of this under your authority and with great gratitude,

Amen