Do you ask?

"Mom," my seven-year-old daughter calls in frustration from her bedroom. “This is too hard, I can’t do it. Can you help me?” She is supposed to be cleaning her room before she can go to a friend’s house to play.

I am in my home office down the hall, typing at the computer, the next sentence forming perfectly in my mind, suddenly it vanishes. What is it now? I sigh in frustration and click save.

I find her sitting on the floor in front of her bed, staring miserably at a pile of disarrayed blankets, and sheets. Her face is red and a few fallen tears are on her cheeks. I look at her dresser with two of her drawers only partially closed, a pair of jeans hanging over the side a sweater squished in the top of another. Her homework is spread out on her small table, the top sheet of math crumpled.

As soon as she sees me, I catch a glimmer of relief in her blue eyes. We start with the bed.

“Hand me the bottom sheet, please. I stretch it out over the mattress fitting the corners in place. “Let’s smooth it out, you can do this part.”

She does.

We do the same with the rest of the bedding. “You can put the pillows and your dolls on.” She nods. I move to her dresser, and open the first drawer that is stuck. I have to give it a good tug before comes out. It has way too many clothes in it. I get some hangers from the closet and hang them up with my daughter; I also show her how to fold the ones left in the drawer so they will fit better. After we are finished, my daughter gives me a big hug.

“Thanks for helping me, Mom. I love you. Now can I play with my friend?”

How often do you ask God to help you?

When you are discouraged do you ask: “Can You help me?”
When you are sad do you ask: “Can You help me?”
When you are lonely do you ask: “Can You help me?”
When you are afraid do you ask: “Can You help me?”
When you are angry do you ask: “Can You help me?”
When you are having a hard time forgiving do you ask: “Can you help me?”

God never sighs in frustration and says, “What is it now.” He waits patiently for us to turn to him, and always knows what to do.