When Do You Look to God for Help?

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

When do you look to God, when do you lift your eyes in search of help?

• When you just cannot drag any more kid gear to another game?
• When you have to cancel a girl's night (again) because the HC called a last minute meeting?
• When your children will not go to bed, and you just need some quiet alone time?
• When you think your man loves that dang ball more than he loves you?
• When you loathe the politics at the booster club meeting?
• When you have to leave the home and community you love?

We've (my coach and I) been fired and hired, wanted and dismissed, welcomed and ignored - mostly well-loved, but sometimes outcast. It is easy to feel alone in those not-so-great times in this coaching life. Often as a young coach's wife, I found myself perseverating on:

• what we should say or do,
• what we should have said or done,
• or even what I would really like to have said - but in no way do those words ever fall in the "should" category.

In doing so, I caused myself and sometimes my coach even more grief as I can work up a worry storm that will challenge tornado season. Sisters - I am a champion worrier.
I have followed him, jobless, to more than one new community - leaving friends and trusted colleagues in my wake. Worry accompanied me, and as a result, tortured my coach.
I have listened to the bleacher creatures and stewed over the ugliness. I have even tried to politic my way around the politics - only to be disappointed in everyone, including myself.
I can't tell you why God allows bad things to happen when it is within his omniscient power to cure cancer, stop gun violence, end divorce, or prevent our sweet men from being the victim of local politics or even fired. I know it all hurts, and I know it isn't fair.

I lift my eyes up to the mountains; where does my help come from?

I can share with you my small soul's belief- the God who created mountains magnificent and life in the depths of the ocean floor- doesn't need you to suffer so that he can be glorified. Luke 19 tells us that if we were all silenced, "even the rocks will cry out his name." So please don't feel like our God wants you to suffer - I just can't believe that a loving God could want that for his child. He chose you. He chose you for this time.
Now you have a choice - will you be like me and create a tempest, a storm of worry and consternation over issues about which you have no, absolutely zero control? Or will you look up to the one who wants to offer you help?

My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth

Psalm 121 tells us that our help comes from the Lord. I think he waits on the edge of my worry storms, just on the outside of the clouds I create until I look his way. Then when he nods his head at my call, the fury of my storm ceases, His presence clearing my skies.
If you choose to lift your eyes up unto the hills, and if you choose to seek him wherever your foot falls, he will be glorified. For he is always your help, your hiding place, the gentle spirit and loving father that waits for you, watches over you, protects you, sustains you - even when you feel less than safe, less than welcome, less than well-loved.
If you choose to look up,
To bow down,
To fall on your knees,
To whisper Abba Father,
Or just to let your heart cry out inaudibly -
He will bend to listen - always - as he "watches over [this coaching life]" in our "coming and going" from this town to the next, "both now and forever more."