Fulfilled: Devotions For Single WomenSample

Help From AboveHe hath never failed thee yet. Never will His love forget. - Amy Wilson Carmichael

I remember having trouble with long division. In class things seemed fine, but homework was hard. So over time I developed an “I’m stuck” routine. I would pick up my book, stomp toward our small kitchen and slump down at the table that had just been cleared from dinner. When my mother turned around from the last of the dishes, I would groan out one sad, single word: “Help.”

Do you remember asking someone to help you with homework? Can you recall a time when you learned something new? Whether it was long division or piano fingering, most of us have had people in our lives who were there, ready and willing to help until suddenly, silently they would leave us on our own. And there we would be, (amazingly!) doing it all by ourselves. Somehow, they knew when to let go.

Few of us ever asked our parents or caregivers to let go; better to have them walk us through and give us constant, direct aid. But in letting go, parents gave us something better: They gave us pride. They gave us a sense of personal accomplishment. And they gave us the empowerment that comes only from meeting the world on our own.

Are you worried that God isn’t next to you for the long division? Are there challenges you don’t think you can meet on your own? Fear not. God is here to help. God will show the way and teach you all you need to know. You can always expect help from above. But you can also expect that God alone knows best when it is time to let go, even if you don’t feel ready.

Loving God, help me remember that You know me best. You know when to help and when to let go.

Emily Odean