Our rad Dad socks some rocks.

Welcome back to the tub my friend. Let's simmer for a bit, shall we? Today is going to rock.

One day, a little boy was playing in his sandbox behind his house. He was having a great time, building little castles and digging around with his blue plastic shovel. As he continued to dig, he came upon a very large and very heavy rock. Incensed with the idea of a great big rock ruining his wonderful sandbox, the boy set out to remove the rock. The boy's father watched from the living room window as his son pushed, shoved, and labored over this huge rock in the sandbox. The boy tried to push, pull, and roll that rock out of the sandbox but to no avail. It seemed that with every grunt and bead of sweat the boy gave, the rock only seemed to get heavier. After a while the boy gave up, plopped down, and began to cry. His father came out of the house and asked him, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength you had to move the rock?" 

The boy replied, "But I did Daddy! I did use all the strength I had!"

"No son," the father answered kindly. "You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me."

With that the father bent down and heaved the great big rock out of his son's sandbox.

Many times in our lives, we attempt to move rocks without asking for help. We move one or two and then we begin to feel pretty good about ourselves. We pass an exam or resolve a conflict at work and begin to think to ourselves, "Hey, I've got this life thing figured out. I am totally self-sufficient. Like a lone wolf." We hit a hot streak and everything begins to go our way. Maybe we start to think, "Wow, I was in a dark place a while ago but look at how far I've come. I've braved the valley so now it's only fitting that I enjoy the mountaintop."

Oh, my dear child. Newsflash, some rocks are bigger than others. Some rocks you can't move on your own. Let me be the first to tell you; there will be rocks that you can't move on your own sooner or later.

It's easy to get over a failed exam. Done. Moved that rock. It's easy to write off that co-worker just as a cynical, stubborn man or woman with a Grinch complex. Done. Moved that rock. It's easy to feel better about skipping church when we justify it by the late night study sessions and diaper changes. Done. Moved that rock. But is it easy to deal with the fact that a loved one is suffering from a disease the doctors can't cure? No, but it's just one rock. Is it easy to move on after a long-term relationship ended the way you didn't want it to? No, but I can handle it. Is it easy to keep smiling even though you're struggling to pay the bills, keep the family together, and still find time to pray? Not at all. Do you see how some rocks pile up over time? All of a sudden, situations like these begin to crop up and we realize that we can't move these rocks on our own. Just like the little boy, our first reaction often times is to plop down, wail, and feel sorry for ourselves. We ask, "Why me? Why do bad things happen to good people?"

I wish I could tell you buddy. I truly do not know why bad things happen to good people. But I can offer you this verse from Romans, my favorite book of the Bible.

"For you did not receive the the spirit of slavery to fall

back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption

as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit

himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of

God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow

heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that

we may also be glorified with him. (Rom. 8:15-17)

How comforting it is to know that the supreme Creator of the universe let's us cry out in the first place. God knows the effects of mortality. He knows that awful things will happen to His children. But we serve a God who tells us, "My child, call out, Abba, Father. I am here. I have always been here." When we look at these insurmountable rocks in our lives and cry out to God, God answers. When we try to move these rocks alone, we aren't using all of our strength. I don't know about you, but the God who raised mountains into existence, beat the ocean waves into submission, and scattered the stars across the cosmos says that I can ask Him for help moving my life's rocks. Do you think He may be capable of moving yours?

I don't know where you are as you read this, fellow tubber. I don't know if you're dealing with many huge rocks, a few small rocks, or any rocks at all. But I do know there is a rock slide coming in the future, because that's just how this thing called life works. When you feel that the struggles and pains of this life are too much, I ask you to ask Dad for help. You see, when we ask for Dad's help, He gives it to us. Maybe not when we want it, but always when we need it. As children and heirs of God, we are privileged with the ability to boast in Christ's wonderful sacrifice. Our Dad loves us so much and wants to help us so bad that he rolled away the only rock that ever really mattered to us humans; the one that sealed Jesus' tomb. Jesus' defeat of death, that paramount, definitive action, reconnected us to God the Father permanently. As a result, we become conduits capable of weathering any storm, leaping over any obstacle, and moving any rock. All we need to do is ask.

"My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you."
(2 Corinthians 12:9)

(Email me at colbytoddmckeehan@gmail.com  or message me on Twitter if you'd like to talk about your rocks. Lord knows I like to chat.)