You can’t always do it alone…

My house lately has been looking more like a battle zone with a cat. We’ve been doing some major remodeling in our kitchen and two bathrooms. A total makeover if you will.

Yesterday the plumber came to begin work on our sinks, faucets, dishwasher etc. And I became his helper without the benefits of smoke breaks and a pay check from Plumber Comp Inc. I was working on something in another room, when all of a sudden he calls me into the kitchen to assist him in setting the sink and putting the drains in. Now I am not the most gifted handy man. So anyone who wants to show me attention by acknowledging my potential, I get really excited. I basically suck when it comes to wood, acrylic and the like. All he had me do was hold the handle of two screw drivers while he tightened down the strainers. And when we were done, I felt like a real man. I felt like I could build my own house. He thanked me by saying, “That saved me from saying a lot of swear words”. I translated it as, “You are a real man, go now, take your place with pros of home improvement”.

The reality is that sometimes you can’t do things alone. You need a helper. And I know that this thought for some people will seem like a no brainier, but sometimes the biggest insights come in the simplest moments.

I have been reading in Exodus 17 and 18 the past couple of days. Two incidents stuck out to me, and also reminded me of one life’s most overlooked valued lesson. That many hands make light work.

Moses was standing on the mountain top watching a battle take place between the people of Israel and the people Amalek. When ever Moses would raise his hands in the air the Israelites would begin to prevail over the Amaleks. But when his arms got to tired and he would put them down for a rest the Amaleks would begin to have the advantage. So it says that they, “…took a stone and put it under him (Moses), and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands…thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed the Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”

Another interesting thing takes place in chapter 18 of Exodus. Moses was feeling overwhelmed with the amount of people coming to him with their needs. And Moses’ father in law says this to him…”The thing you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.” Moses had to learn to delegate. He had to learn that he could not do the task alone. He had to let people help him. And through that, better serve his own health and the health of others.

This is simple for us to see at times, while other times we need to be reminded that we are not to live life alone. We constantly need the love, support and guidance from other people around us. If you are feeling overwhelmed today, maybe you need someone to come along side you to hold you up, give you the strength that you don’t posses on your own.

You can’t always do it alone…