• Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Work With Me
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Work With Me
    • Portfolio
    • About
  • Books
    • Leaving Christian Science
    • Write Your Journey
      • Write Your Journey Resources
  • Music
    • Funeral Music and Memorial Service Music
    • Worship
  • Blog
lauren hunter freelance writer

Lauren Hunter

Journey Together

  • Freelance Writing
    • Portfolio
    • Join Lauren Hunter’s Email List
  • Books
    • Leaving Christian Science
    • Write Your Journey
      • Write Your Journey Resources
    • Press
  • Music
    • Worship
    • Funeral Music
  • Work With Me
i need help and so do you, hills with clouds and trees

I Need Help (and so do you)

· In: Growth

I can’t do it any longer. I can’t do it alone, and neither can you. I’ve tried to make it all come together perfectly, but I can’t. The holidays form a kind of microcosmic vortex of realization wherein my weakness shows up in droves. I need help (and so do you).

All my unattainable plans are thwarted by weather and illness coupled with some surgery and most likely untimely and expensive car repairs. I’ve come to expect that things won’t, and don’t, usually go as planned. I’m still learning how to enjoy life despite my desire to want things a certain way.

How do we take control?

If you’re anything like me (perfectionist, people-pleaser, over-achiever), you’ve probably tried done everything humanly possible not to fail. You want to look good. You want to look good to your neighbors. . . to your friends . . . to the other people at school, church, and work. You want success. You want perfection. You want control.

Ahhh . . . there it is: control. You and I often will do anything to have it. And nearly anything not to lose it. Darn control. Why do we want it so bad? Why do we crave it (sometimes) more than anything else in the world?

Usually, we don’t really realize it running in the background of our minds like spyware on an unsuspecting hard drive until something happens and we lose it.

How do we get it all done?

Christmas is an unavoidable time to lose control and admit that we can’t keep all the plates spinning at one time–even if we manage to give off the appearance that nothing is crashing to the ground. If you got your cards in the mail and your cookies all delivered on time. I’m proud of you. Honest. If you have a magic formula you’re willing to share, I’m all ears.

However, I’m willing to bet that you aren’t even enjoying it all. You’re probably worn out. You’re tired. You need a break.

My fall kicked off with one of my four kids having a tonsillectomy. Then I had a surgical procedure. And my husband took a new coaching position that required lots of evenings and weekends. Couple that with raising four kids and working from home, did I mention I need help?

Did you know there are 1,684 occurrences of the word “help” in the Bible?

When I searched for mentions of the word, “help” in the Bible online, I discovered that there were 1,684 occurrences of the word “help” according to Bible Hub.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 121. I took some liberty with it and gave it a Christmas twist, I hope you don’t mind:

Psalm 121 (Lauren’s adaptation)

I lift up my eyes from the shopping, the gift wrapping, the cooking, and the volunteering, and I ask, where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
the Maker of heaven and earth

He will not let my heart become bitter over all that I have to do
and miss the real meaning of Christmas.
He watches over me after I fall into bed
a heap of exhaustion and overachieving.

The Lord watches over you–
the Lord is your excuse not to overdo and over-commit
your perfectionism cannot overcome you
by day or by night.

The Lord will keep you from doing yourself in–
he will watch over me and help me relax and let go
both now and in the future

Let God (and Your Friends and Family) Be Your Help

I pray both now and in the future that you embrace imperfection and anticipate transformation as you let God be your help. I also urge you (as I’m continually learning) to ASK for help when you need it. I’m excruciatingly bad at this, but I’m learning ever so slowly.

I asked my in-laws to stay with us during the fall surgeries; I let friends help me and bring me food; I absolutely call a fellow parent when I need one of my kids dropped off or picked up; I even made a pact with myself that I would hire a house cleaner (I did) during this season in my life.

The more we’re real with ourselves, our friends, and family, and yes, even with God, the more we can embrace our need for help and reach out. It’s really the only way to survive. We all need grace, we all need love, and we all need help.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

-Hebrews 4:16

By: Lauren Hunter · In: Growth · Tagged: asking for help, christmas, faith, help, motherhood, needing help, needing help how do I ask for help?, psalm 121, psalms, surgery, survival

About Lauren Hunter

Lauren Hunter is a freelance writer, author, coach, musician, and celebrant who loves exploring the big picture of the journey we are all on together. She is the author of two books: Leaving Christian Science: 10 Stories of New Faith in Jesus Christ and Write Your Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide to Write Your Life Story Fast. Lauren lives in Northern California with her husband and their four children.

you’ll also love

top 15 thanksgiving bible versesTop 15 Thanksgiving Bible Verses
when god shows up in worshipWhen God Shows Up in Worship
What is My Purpose After Motherhood?What is My Purpose After Motherhood?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alyssa says

    at

    Love this Lauren. Embracing our imperfection….allows us to see the perfect strength of God in our weakness and how He uses others to care for us. He’s used you in my life so many times. Here’s to an imperfect and JESUS-centered Christmas!! 🙂

    • Lauren Hunter says

      at

      You too have blessed me in so many ways, dear Alyssa! Love that we as sisters in Christ can help keep our eyes fixed on Jesus!

  2. Mary Henderson says

    at

    You nailed it here my dear daughter. Many many people (mostly women) are feeling this way including quite a huge number who are not yet at the point of admitting it. The rewording of Psalm 121 is beautiful and exactly what the Psalmist meant, I do believe.

    Thank you for putting these thoughts and messages into words and sharing them all through this precious blog. Much love…..over the miles….to you.

    • Lauren Hunter says

      at

      I’m glad my words spoke to you, Mom! Love over the miles . . .

Next Post >

Christmas Claustrophobia [Poem]

Primary Sidebar

Meet Lauren

Lauren Hunter is a freelance writer, author, coach, and musician who loves exploring the big picture of the journey we are all on together. She is the author of two books: Leaving Christian Science: 10 Stories of New Faith in Jesus Christ and Write Your Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide to Write Your Life Story Fast.

Work With Me

Let's Connect

Ratings Catcher Review

Let’s Journey Together

I'm so glad you're here. So much of what I write about has to do with this crazy journey called "life" that we are all on together. As a thank you for joining my email list, I'd love to give you the first chapter of my latest book, Write Your Journey. Sign up and look for the free download in your inbox!

Recent Posts

  • 10 Great Blessings from the Bible
  • Contentment at Christmas
  • Top 15 Thanksgiving Bible Verses
  • 20 Unique Gifts for the Writers and Readers in Your Life
  • Privacy Policy
  • Work With Me

Article Categories

  • Book Reviews
  • Faith
  • Growth
  • Leaving Christian Science
  • Motherhood
  • Music
  • Poems
  • Work
  • Write Your Journey

AMAZON ASSOCIATES DISCLOSURE

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Footer

Bible gateway blogger grid member
Freelancer's Union

Copyright © 2023 · Theme by 17th Avenue

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT