“All the answers on your math homework are wrong. You’ll need to do them over again,” my fourth-grade teacher admonished.

          "Again!?" I slumped in my chair. Having to stay after school to work on math became a daily occurrence. To say I disliked math was an understatement.

          Eventually, my stay-after-school days came to an end, but one thing didn’t. I still got problems wrong--life problems. You know how that can go?  (A). Struggle to keep up with everything; (B) Do your best to avoid making mistakes; (C) Find out what you thought was right is wrong, and (D) Go back and do everything over.  
   
          The dilemma! However, there is another way to look at this. We may balk at the number of do-overs it takes to make something right, but imagine Thomas Edison’s frustration after thousands of attempts to create the light bulb. Where would we be if he had given up? Instead, he persevered. His "again and again" attempts paid off. 

          Now, for a little twist on the word "again." If we turn it into two words, it becomes “a gain." Aha! If we don't give up—even if we have to try again and again—we can learn from our failures, which equals a "gain" and not a loss. (I wish I’d realized this as a fourth-grade math student).

          Years later I had to face my fear of math again when I applied to nursing school. “You must pass a math entry exam," the nursing advisor said. I feared failing, but put weeks of effort into studying. I happily passed the exam, entered nursing school, and earned my R.N. degree.  

          Life poses different struggles for each of us. What is an “again” struggle you have faced—or are facing—and what “gain” did you achieve—or will you achieve because of it? 
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          My prayer for you is that you may tackle your “again” moments and discover the “gain” therein!
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“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9. 

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com

“Let me know when we’re close to the turnoff.”
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“I will, Sweetheart,” I said, as I unfolded the road map. We’d spent a week-long family vacation in Yellowstone with the travel trailer. We were on the long journey home and had been traveling most of the day. My husband usually did the map-reading, but due to traffic, he'd asked for my help.       

I slid my finger across the map to locate the Interstate we were on, then found the turnoff. "According to the map," I told my husband, "we will be turning off in about ten miles."   

“All right, good," my husband replied. We watched for the road sign and merged onto the turnoff. My husband looked tired, but said he'd be fine with another cup of coffee from the thermos. I was tired, too, and the kids were fidgety. I tried to be encouraging. "We'll find the campground soon and then we can have dinner," I told them, "and a surprise for dessert." 

But "soon" didn't come soon enough. An hour later we were heading up a steep mountain with no campground in sight. Dark storm clouds gathered. The truck engine made grinding sounds as we trudged up the narrow mountain road.  

My husband looked over at me. “Something's not right," he said.    

“With the truck?" 

“No, I expected it to slow down on roads like this, with the weight of the trailer. That's not what I meant. I have a bad feeling that we're going in the wrong direction."

“Oh, no," I said and reached for the map.    

"Don't bother with that," my husband said, shaking his head. "As soon as I find a place to pull over, we'll turn around."  
  
“I'm so sorry," I replied wistfully. “I guess I made a mistake looking at the map." 

“Yes, but it's not going to do us any good to worry about it now."      
  
I felt bad about my mistake. The expression on my husband's was strained as he focused on the approaching mountain curve, turning up the windshield wipers full blast as heavy rain pelted against the windshield.

Fear welled up inside me. What had I gotten us into? I lowered my head as my eyes filled with tears. Dear God, I’m sorry I caused us to lose our way. Please guide us to safety. In Jesus' Name, Amen.  

Fortunately, not long after going around the curve there was a pull-off with enough room for my husband to turn us around.

Heading back the way we came, it took another hour before we reached the Interstate. A welcome sight was a truck stop a few more miles down the road. We were too exhausted to search for a campground, so we were happy to enjoy a hot meal at the restaurant and park the trailer on the premises for the night. Exhausted, we fell fast asleep.

However, if you're ever spent the night at a truck stop, you know how noisy the semi-truck engines can be. I woke up to the sound of a semi-horn blasting and couldn't go back to sleep. I mulled over my map-reading mistake, then decided to look up verses about God's guidance. Scripture from Proverbs 3:5-6 stuck with me: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”  

     Throughout my life, I have lost my way more often than I care to admit (both literally and figuratively). But as I work to build my faith, I am getting better at trusting in God. I still make a lot of mistakes, but I know the Lord is with me, no matter what happens. He is my Shepherd, my Counsel, my Guide, my Savior, my All in All. 

     God is there for me and He is there for you. My prayer is that we may have the faith to trust Him, and to lean on Him to guide us to help us find our way (without getting lost)!        

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“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” – Psalm 119:105
“And whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” – Isaiah 30:21
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” – Psalm 32;8
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Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com
 
 

“What’s up for your week?” I asked. My friend shook her head.     “My schedule is packed to the gills,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll be lucky to have any time to myself.”

     Sometimes “busy” gets to be more than we can handle, and we might feel as if we’re heading to a place we don’t want to be. I call that place the “Land of Overwhelm.” No one wants to visit there. But what can we do to keep from heading to that disastrous place?  

     The following five steps have helped me, and I hope they will be helpful to you, too, if you feel overwhelmed:    
1)First, what makes you feel overwhelmed? Name it.        
2)Do you have control over the situation? Yes or No.  (If not, we'll touch on that later.)     
3)Make a list. What do you need to do right away, or today? List these items in order of importance.      
(Note: Are your prioritized items ones you are expected to do, or are they self-imposed? If self-imposed, can they be saved for later?)    
4)Start with the most important item and work your way down the list. Check off each item after you’ve completed it.    
5)Be kind to yourself. You can only accomplish so much in one day. Take breaks to do something you enjoy, diverting your attention away from work.   
   
     The five steps listed above are “self-help” steps. When we feel stressed, though, you may have noticed, as I have, that we tend to look within ourselves for answers.  But wait! Let’s not be alone! Are there friends or family who can help? If so, they may or may not have the answers we need, but they can provide support.   

     In seeking help, let us not overlook calling upon the Master of Creation. God’s Word—the Bible—provides instruction for our lives. The Author and Creator of your life and mine wants to enter into a relationship with you and with me. We were brought to this earth for a reason. But because of wickedness and sin, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross to save us from sin.

     If we believe in Him, He dwells within us. And when we believe, we learn to trust. (If you look up “trust” in the Bible, you will come across a multitude of scriptures about the importance of trusting in God.

     The Bible also shows that Jesus took “breaks.” He made time to get away from the crowds to rest and pray. This self-care enabled Him to do the work He needed to do.   
  
     Prayer is another key element in trusting God. When we trust Him, we ascertain that we can communicate with Him through prayer.   
 
     We can take steps (such as the numbered items above) to avoid the road to “overwhelm.” However, foremost in my experience, before resorting to “self-help” measures, I have found it is best to seek God’s help through faith and prayer.

     When there are things we cannot control, they are literally out of our hands. In such times, through faith and prayer we can ask God to help us by placing these worries into His Almighty hands.     
 
     God cares about you, and He cares about me. With the help and guidance of the One who knows all, we can avoid traveling to the “Land of Overwhelm.” Instead, we can look forward as we step into the "Land of Hope and Faith." 
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     If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, it only takes a simple “Yes” to do so. The God of creation loves you more than you will ever know!
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“For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com  
  

 In a hurry to finish shopping before leaving on a trip, I scanned items in my shopping cart at the self-service checkout. Before I could complete the transaction, the machine malfunctioned.
 
Oh, great. I don’t need this right now.

Then, a message appeared on the screen: “Help is on the way.”

Good. Someone would come to my rescue. But no one came. Impatient, I stepped over to the Customer Service counter, but as I did so, a store associate approached. She greeted me with a smile, typed a code into the machine, and, voila, my issue was resolved. I was thankful for her help and made it home in time to leave on our trip.   

Help is on the way.  If God responded to my concerns with a text message or note on my computer, I imagine him typing a message like this. But, of course, electronic technology isn't required for God to communicate with us—or us with Him. He is only a prayer away—and our hearts become the "email" receptacle for answers to prayer.   

Presently, much help is needed in the state where I live, for a rapidly spreading wildfire has put mountain communities in great danger. Some residents have been forced to evacuate. Hundreds of  firefighters are risking their health and lives to do all they can to keep the fire from destroying homes and structures.    

In times of great need, people often come together to support one another. But, in disastrous situations, some may ask,  “How could God allow this to happen?" The same question could be asked about other ills of the world that make us fearful, anxious, or angry, such as poverty, war, drugs, crime, or terrorism.       

The God of Creation, who made the universe and everything in it, never intended for our world to become a place of chaos, devastation, or suffering. Unfortunately, many of the ills that have taken place throughout history have been tied to human undertaking and sin. There are other things that happen for which we do no have answers. However, for the believer, trust is place in the One who is in charge of creation.      
 
Despite the ills of the world, we have a God who is larger than any problem or disaster we face. No matter what happens, the Bible tells us that God promises never to leave us or forsake us. 
 
1 Corinthians 12 shows we are part of the body of Christ. “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

As God’s people, as the body of Christ, we act together as one to lift our hands in service to help others in times of need. God comes to the rescue, for through His guidance, He helps us navigate the challenges set before us.

Indeed, help is on the way!

Whether we are dealing with something as small as an issue in a checkout line, or whether we are confronted by the devastation of wildfires or other natural disasters, we may feel our faith is being tested. But God's Word tells us not to fear and to trust Him. Having this faith, we are assured that whatever happens, He will always be with us and He comes to our rescue. His  guidance is just a prayer away.  
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 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1
“The Lord is my helper.” – Hebrews 13:6
“For the Lord God helps me.” – Isaiah 50:7
“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:2
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10

Photo: N. Johnson  - Wildfire close to where we traveled (following the delay at the supermarket).