“Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart.”

“Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” 

Two very different messages, yet I couldn’t laugh out loud at the irony that this is how my day started. 

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s ever had one of those days – bombarded by messages and questions and needs. 

When things start to get off track and go wrong, it can be super frustrating. Computers aren’t supposed to “run into problems” I thought as I stared at the blue screen. Just like feeders aren’t supposed to break and tires aren’t supposed to go flat. But we know they do, and they will again.

Extra Hands 

Last weekend my youngest daughter and I helped out with a Feeding Our Kids project for a 4-H service project. The program provides nourishing food to food insecure school children on weekends and school holidays throughout the school year. To do this, the program requires many hands and a great deal of generosity. The organization primarily runs on volunteers who pack food in bags for and deliver food to 37 schools.

We helped with inventory and recycling. As I watched the kids work, I saw their faces light up with purpose. I was reminded that it feels good to help others, even if the job is small. 

I also thought about how reaching out and relying on others for help when we feel bombarded isn’t a bad thing. Not only can others help us through hard times, but sometimes our hard times allow someone else to feel needed and valuable like my daughter and her 4-H club felt the other day.

Why We Need to Ask

There are days I really don’t know how I will get it all done. When life throws a kink into the crazy I’m trying to balance, it can be discouraging. And it I’m being honest, the last thing I want to do is ask for help.

For example, our family has had a hectic start to November between National FFA Convention, IHSA state cross country championships, National 4-H Quiz Bowl and the North American International Livestock Exposition sheep show. I've had to ask friends to help with rides and I had to realize that I couldn't do some projects on my own that I may have been able to during less busy circumstances. 

It's hard to make the ask, but in the end it made a big difference. I'm so glad I could gain a little perspective during the 4-H service project. It was a great visual of how things get done when people pull together and make the burden just a little less for one another. We left feeling a little lighter to be able to have helped in some way.

Start Today

The holidays are a great time to start asking for a little help. Can you lean on one of your employees a little more and allow them the opportunity to step up and try their hand at more responsibility on the farm? Could Thanksgiving open the door for your team to rally together to make sure everyone enjoys time with their family? Can you invite your kids to join you in accomplishing a task so you can stop working sooner to do something fun with them? 

When the fear of falling short or not getting it all done weighs heavy on you, remember you aren’t alone in it. Maybe, just maybe, it’s more about someone getting to help you than it is about the challenge you’ve just run into.   

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