Refusing the Help we Need

Sometimes we just refuse help. No matter how dire the circumstances or how painful it is, we just refuse help.

Last night was one of those moments. Andrew, who is suffering through a poking-of-the-eye-with-the-toothbrush injury refused to take his eye ointment. The night before we woke up several times in the night whimpering and putting a cloth to his eye. Nevertheless it made for a miserable night for all of us. After taking him to the doctor, and the doctor thinking that he just irritated the eye and nothing was wrong, prescribed an eye ointment. Last night after the fury of his birthday (which was a grand event) Andrew refused to take his eye ointment (his being over-tired didn’t help the process). It took over 30 minutes of calming him down and bribing him, until eventually we had to overpower him and give it to him by force. He refused his eye medicine even though he was complaining about his eye.

People are like that. Sometimes we just don’t want help, even though, we know we need it, even though we know we are suffering, we refuse to take the help. People are that way with Jesus all the time. This world is full of death and suffering, and when you open up the doors for people to see Jesus they refuse the only help they really need.

Pray for Andrew to be open to receive the help he needs for his eye, and for people around us to receive the help that Jesus offers to them.