Since He's All-Sufficient, I Don't Have to Be

As an independent gal for almost ten years now, I like to call myself self-sufficient, self-supporting, self-reliant, self-sustaining. But, even as I type those words, they sound very “self”-minded! Lord knows – I want to be others minded – NOT self-minded. For example, when offered help out of my son’s big duly Ford F-350, I have been known to say “not yet” – as I slowly maneuver that 3 feet down out of the back seat by myself.

But, I did take hold of my grandson's hand when we were traversing the canyons and caverns of Reimer's Park. I'm no dummy! I really do know when I need to humble-up and admit when I need help. But, I loved it when I saw a tree branch that we could turn into a great walking stick to help me scale those boulders. Back to my independent self again! Oh, I get it! I, undoubtedly, will relent from my self-reliance the more mature I get. I'm already doing that when I get up in the morning and move slower than I once did. That's why I quickly get to my morning walk to get these body-parts moving and grooving.

I’m revisiting the times when my sweet mama had to depend on us more as she “matured”. She was super independent and only after she fell at age 94, did she submit. Then there’s my dear 97-year-old mother-in-law, who had been independent for years after dad passed away, but is now extremely dependent on her kids and her walker and even sometimes, her wheelchair. It came with great difficulty to relinquish her independence, but now she gladly allows us to help her out.

Funny how, in this independent mindset that we hold on to for so long, we become almost too good at being self-sufficient. I’m guilty as charged. Fortunately, there have been very few things that I couldn’t do myself, especially in this age of being able to google just about anything. DIY is my go-to in most instances and thank God for the internet that has been my bestie in so many occasions. In fact, last night I used Google to figure out how to fix the loose stitching on my sewing machine. And, whoa-la, it worked. Stitch – fixed!

Self-sufficiency might be an admirable quality to strive for, but now I'm thinking I need to guard myself against becoming too good at it. I’ll admit it – asking for help humbles me. Perhaps I need humbling – because this self-sufficiency almost crosses the line of being selfish in accepting the kindness of others and may even keep them from being blessed.

And, perhaps, our self-sufficiency keeps us from an intimate, close relationship with our Lord Who is the ALL-Sufficient One, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9.8).

The All-Sufficiency of God means He is a God of infinite riches of wisdom, goodness, and power. And His “all-sufficiency” is available to His kids as a treasure chest of blessings. That means we can let go of our self-sufficiency and receive the all-encompassing sufficiency of our God.

Our Heavenly Father longs to have that close relationship with us. He wants us to ask Him for help. He wants to save us from a lot of the mistakes we'll make without His wisdom. It’s easy to rely on our own strength, our own ability, and our own wisdom — so much so that we no longer reach out to our Father and let Him in to help us. It’s so easy to start to leave Him out of our daily life, decisions and activities, and only run to Him when there’s a big crisis. Even in the thick of our daily challenges and struggles, God is right there to lay His gentle hand on our shoulder to say “Let Me help you with that.” He’s hoping we will let Him help. He never stops loving us or wanting that relationship with us, even when we feel like we should have it all together by now. I don’t like calling out for help to anyone, but I’m seeing that there are times when I must. In the same way, God is a mere call away when we call upon Him.

Psalm 91:15 “Call on me and I will answer you. I will be with you in trouble. I will deliver you and honor you.

No Thanks, I Can Do It Myself!

No Thanks, I Can Do It Myself!
Self-Sufficiency - self-supporting, self-reliant, self-sustaining,

"I’ve watched my dear 95-year-old mother-in-law, who has been quite independent for years, now be willing to let go of that self-sufficiency. Since she uses a walker, I offered to carry her purse and she’d reply “I can carry it myself!” Now, she let’s us carry it, and, recently, has even succumbed to allowing us to push her in a wheel chair when she leaves the house. It came with great difficulty to relinquish her independence, but now she gladly allows us to help her out.

Funny how, in this independent mindset that we hold on to for so long, we become almost TOO GOOD at being self-sufficient. I’m guilty as charged. Fortunately, there have been very few things that I couldn’t do myself, especially in this age of being able to google just about anything to DIY (do it yourself). In fact, I just had to use google to figure out how to put a spray tank together so I could spray some of my bushes for insects. Whoa la! Done!

Because of Dr. Google, I can tell my doctor what my health issue is even before he tells me. With google and other sources, I have become a master problem solver. Whenever I face difficulties that seem insurmountable, I stick with it until I find a solution. I am determined to find a way to manage difficulties without needing much help from others or being a burden to anyone else.

Typically, self-sufficiency would be considered an admirable quality to strive for, but now I'm thinking I need to guard myself against becoming too good at it. I don’t want to bother anyone else to have to help me. I feel like I should be capable and strong enough to make things happen and roll with the results without falling apart. I’ll admit it -- it’s been difficult to humble myself to ask for help or guidance, even when I need the support. But, I do have to call in help to pull down my attic stairs which are heavy, high and, clearly, are a hazard. I sure don't want my family to have to deal with a bruised, broken or lacerated Mom/Nana.

How well I remember the independence of my children and grandchildren when they were toddlers. They wanted to do everything themselves — except for when they didn’t want to do something, like clean up their toys or eat their veggies. I wanted to help them grow and I wanted to fix things and prevent difficulties for them. It's the plan to give them the tools they need to make wise choices so they can grow up to be self-sufficient. Sometimes that means letting them fall down so they can learn and grow from their own mistakes, even though we’d rather protect them from falling. Nevertheless, we are there to protect them even when they fall.

Our Heavenly Father longs to have that close relationship with us. He wants to help. He wants to save us from a lot of the mistakes we'll make without His wisdom. He wants us to be dependent on Him. It’s easy to rely on our own strength, our own ability, and our own wisdom — so much so that we no longer reach out to our Father and let Him in to help us. It’s so easy to start to leave Him out of our daily life, decisions and activities, and only run to Him when there’s a big crisis.

Even in the thick of our daily challenges and struggles, God is right there to lay His gentle hand on our shoulder to say “Let Me help you with that.” He’s hoping we will let Him help. He never stops loving us or wanting that relationship with us, even when we feel like we should have it all together by now. I don’t like calling out for help to anyone, but I’m seeing that there are times when I must. In the same way, God is a mere call away when we call upon Him.

Psalm 91:15 “Call on me and I will answer you. I will be with you in trouble. I will deliver you and honor you.”

By the way, I am delighted that I'm NOT so independent that I can yield to my children's wishes this weekend, when they're giving me my Mother's Day present in the form of power washing my patios, garage, driveways and windows. Yes, I'm still a "smart cookie"....I know when to DIY AND when to submit to the joys and blessings of motherhood -- and relinquish my self-sufficient spirit!

I'm Making My Declaration of DEPENDENCE

DEPENDENCE: depending on or relying on others for support
INDEPENDENCE: not depending on or relying on others

We live in a culture that teaches us that it is possible, and in fact preferable to be “INDEPENDENT”… free from responsibility, accountability, and from moral and Godly values. A Declaration of Dependence makes an inspired biblical-based case that the opposite is true. Today I'm making my own definitive declaration that I am in fact “DEPENDENT” on God for everything of real value…my personal, material, physical, and spiritual well being.

We start with dependency on our parents for our daily needs. But, deep inside is that “independent” spirit that starts to demand its own way. Just watch a two-year old be possessive of his stuff and say “MINE” or they pull their hand out of our grasp because they want to be INDEPENDENT of our hold on them. Where do they learn that? Surely, we parents don’t act that way or do we?

As we continue to mature, we become more independent. I grew up dependent on my parents and then on my husband and when he graduated to heaven, I became INDEPENDENT. I only had me to take care of me now. My survival instincts kicked in, with a “CAN DO” mentality. Some of my friends are in awe as I drive alone for hours to get to my next destination. My friend called me a few days ago and I was getting my car serviced for my next trip. She said, “Oh, my husband is doing that right now, too.” I laughed and said, “See, if my husband were still here, he’d be doing this for me too. Welcome to my world!"

I like to pay my own way, live in my own home, make my own decisions, rely on no outside help. And, I’ve learned that if I face an unexpected DIY challenge, I just go to my dear friend, Mr. Google, and I get all the help I need from him. Believe me, he is very worthy of my praise. I can’t begin to tell you how many challenges he has helped me solve.

INDEPENDENCE is a blessing when it comes to domination from another country (i.e. the reason for our Country's Declaration of INDEPENDENCE). But when our Country AND we start to be INDEPENDENT of God and our trust in Him, then "Hello, Trouble!" It is trouble and struggle when my heart’s attitude is “I can do ALL things through ME who can do anything on my own” instead of the attitude that is most desirable to God, “I can do all things through CHRIST Who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13). He wants us to be DEPENDENT on His all sufficiency. It’s what Jesus told His disciples: “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The fact is, we should never outgrow our dependence and our trust in God, and daily we should be making our Declaration of Dependence on Him Who made us and holds us in the palms of His mighty hands.

I often feel closest to God during times of weakness because I come to depend on Him more. I have a yearning in my heart for Him to transform every nook and cranny of my life. I want Him to be my all-consuming thought, desire and passion. Isaiah 30:15 says “This is what the Almighty LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “You can be saved by returning to me. You can have rest. You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting Me.”

Maybe someone reading this today is in a world of confusion and you want to independently take care of the challenges you face. Then this post is for you. Maybe you're feeling physically and mentality spent -- completely exhausted. Could THIS message be heaven-sent to you today? Could God be urging you to STOP for just a while to declare "In God I Trust" and DEPEND on Him?

Let's make our Declaration of DEPENDENCE on God and His wisdom for our lives. I'm convinced that grabbing hold of His mighty hand and DEPENDING on Him, will lead us where we need to go and what we need to do. He's our good, good Father and surely, Father knows best!

The Sweetest Kisses Last Forever

 Day 296 of Photo Inspirations -- The Sweetest Kisses Last Forever
#TBT So in looking through my photo archives, I came across these photos of sweet little kisses, from my sweetheart and I, to kissing our grandchildren, to our kids kissing each other.

Oh what precious memories those photos evoked! Thank you for indulging me once again on my life journey memories.  I wouldn't at all blame you if you just couldn't take yet one more photo of the Wuerch Family. Facebook is so awesome in providing space for journaling and celebrating memories. I just can't help myself. It's the stuff that brings so my joy to my life.

I googled to see what the benefits of kissing might be and I was quite amused when I googled "sweet kisses".  BTW -- if you don't know how to plant a good kiss, you'll find instructional YouTube videos that will show you how.

If only I'd had those videos when my sweetheart and I had our first "preplanned" kiss.  He called me and said, "Let's meet behind the church (after church) on Sunday night!"  We met and he threw me back in one of those Clark Gable kind of holds and kisses, and I got his breath mint in my mouth. LOL!  Sweet and fond memory.

But the best I found about "sweet" kissing was the benefits of kissing a baby.  I could have written that article because I can vouch that there are no sweeter kisses on earth than kissing a baby.  I think that's because they still have heaven's scent on them.  I found out that the beneficial aspects of holding a baby so close that he/she can hear your heart, to feel your warmth and your soft kisses actually has many health and psychological benefits!

Among them, a study published by Hendrie and Bower in the research journal Medical Hypotheses posited that kissing is a biological behavior which helps boost immunity and controls exposure to infection.  

AND, there are other benefits, as found by a psychologist at Lafayette College, of a link between kissing and decreasing cortisol levels, suggesting that kissing can actually decrease stress, which in turn, can help keep you healthier!    And, kissing is great for your emotional heart, your physical heart, and the heart you carry outside of your body.

I know "they say" that we're in the flu season and we should steer clear of passing germs around, but, on the other hand -- which would be worse -- a case of the flu, or missing out on the sweet love we receive and are able to give to those we love so dearly?

You're welcome!  This "kissing" commercial was brought to you by a Nana, Mom, Daughter and Friend that loves to express my love and appreciation --sometimes it's a kiss and sometimes it's a hug -- but either way, expessing our delight and joy in loving and caring just might make their day!  I know it sure makes mine!   Perhaps, someone in your world could use a kiss or a hug today!

I remember this statement from my school days..."Kissing spreads germs the doctors have stated......but kiss me, Babe, I'm vaccinated!