This seemed like a heartfelt cry and I wondered. I couldn’t make out what the problem was so I asked. Why are you crying?  No response. What’s wrong? No response. Did you fall down? ‘No Mummy’… she replied through the tears that streamed down her face. So why are you crying? And she cried even more.

Patience… good enough, this virtue wasn’t far at that time so I waited for her to calm down. Then I asked again, and through the interruption of heaves and sniffs, she told me what the problem was. She had so much homework to do and she was already so tired, she feared she wouldn’t finish on time to go to bed early enough to enable her wake up bright and early to prepare for school the next day.

My first reaction was pity; pity for my dear child who felt overwhelmed. Next came anger at the educational system these days in this part of the world where children and laden with so much homework that they don’t even have the time to play, relax, have fun, and explore. It almost feels they’re being robbed of their childhood. Why do they need to do so much work and be this serious so early in life? I don’t remember this much work in my days…

Then I turned my attention to my cutie and began to question her. How have we done homework in the past? Together. Who helped you? You, Mummy.Did I disappear or go missing? No Mummy. Did I tell you at any point that you’re now on your own and I’m not going to help you anymore? No Mummy. So how could you cry this much as if all hope is lost and there’s no way out of this situation? The conversation went on and I reassured her. A few minutes later, tears wiped and hope restored, we took down piece by piece every single one of those tasks that seemed like insurmountable odds to her.

I didn’t have to think hard about it. I could almost hear God saying loud and clear – Isn’t that just how you humans are? You experience my power, my grace, my help, my miracles in your lives as I walk with you on life’s journey and then one day you completely forget that I am more than ABLE and that I am always with you and you cry and mourn in the face of adversity? How are you so quick to forget how I brought you out the last time, how I healed you, how I made a way for you, how I delivered you, comforted you, and so much more? Since when did crying become the solution?

So I took it to heart and by His grace I will respond appropriately when next I face a mountain. I hope you’ll do the same. If you’re facing any right now, no better time to take it to the LORD in prayer than now. Just pray. Jesus gave us an open invitation in Matthew 11:28. He said ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’. He meant it. So call.