Half a year ago, my hip suddenly gave way in the middle of training for a distance race. I ran the race and kept running for months afterwards despite the occasional sharp jerks of pain that shot through my hip when I leaned forward. One fine day, I was reduced to a limp because walking became so painful. The next morning I finally picked up the phone and called my doctor’s office to find out how to get a referral for an appointment at the Sports Medicine Clinic.

Because I initially didn’t know how to get a referral to the Sports Medicine Clinic and because I was afraid that the doctor would tell me my problem was too far advanced to be solved, I struggled to run for six months before seeking help. How long do we wait in spiritual struggles before asking for help?

Perhaps often we waddle in our spiritual, emotional, financial, and academic mire alone because we are afraid to ask, don’t know who to ask, and fear the solution is too difficult to achieve. As we wait, we sink, deeper, and the number people we hurt and deceive as we struggle may increase. How long will we go another day without talking to God, how long will we teach our RE students the ten commandments if we have trouble keeping them ourselves, how long will we indulge a bad habit before we ask for help in prayers and advice?

Not another day. Now is time to ask for help.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.” (Eccl 4:9-10)

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (Jas 5:16)

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7)

“For He says:’In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6:2)

Pick up the phone and make an appointment with God, with our parents, with our church friends, with our pastor. Today. Before we are reduced to a limp at work, in school, in a friendship, or in our faith, before the damage is permanent. Now is the acceptable time to get a check-up, to ask for help, to ask for mercy.

Part 2