Not Helping

"I will come and help you"

2 Samuel 10:11

My Awesome Girl did the dishes for me the other day.  She's like that.  Both my kids are, really.  I'm very blessed.

The kids each have chores that they're responsible for, but I do the bulk of the dishes and laundry.  They take turns being my "laundry assistant" or "kitchen assistant" for the week, and then switch the following week.  So they empty the dishwasher, put away the folded clothes, and anything else I might ask them to do along those lines.

But I don't expect them to do all the dishes.  Their schoolwork is to be their main focus; their priority.

So I was pleasantly surprised when she cleaned the whole kitchen for me.  I had fallen a little behind on some of my own tasks, and the kitchen was taking the brunt of my disorganization.  She noticed, and took matters into her own hands.

After she was done, she walked past me on her way to her bedroom.  I thanked her for all she did in the kitchen, and after she said, "You're welcome," she signed a quiet little sigh.  So I asked her if everything was okay.  She said she was fine, just that she was a little worried about all the homework she had to do. 

Of course I was even more appreciative then, of what she had done for me, but I also felt a little sorry, that I couldn't help her.  After all, you can't do someone's homework for them; it kinda defeats the purpose.  I wished that I could do something to help her, but all she could do was go to her room and knuckle down.  Which she did. 

Sometimes we can help people.  Sometimes we can't.  Sometimes we can take over a difficulty for them.  Sometimes there's nothing we can do.  When it comes to my kids' schoolwork, I can teach, I can guide, I can support, but the bulk of the work ~ the learning ~ has to be done by them. 

That's what it's all about.  The learning, we each have to do for ourselves. 

~ "Therefore, as we have opportunity,

  let us do good to all" ~

Galatians 6:10

~