WHERE THERE IS HELP, THERE SHOULD ALSO BE GROWTH

Psalm 121:1-2 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

I was sitting in bible study, and the discussion was on Jesus being the resurrection and the life. Based on the John 11:25, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:" The discussion was also talking about "I am." All I kept hearing is "help." I started thinking back when I played C-Team football for Eastside High School, when I was in the 8th grade. I wasn't athletic at all. To be honest I really didn't want to be there. I was just coasting the whole time. Anyway there was a part of practice that was called conditioning, and it mostly evolved a lot of running. I wasn't the fastest runner in the world, so sometimes my teammates would help me out by pulling my shoulder pad. They helped me out so that I became dependent. When they didn't help me I thought, I couldn't do it without their help. So I would ask, "Who's going to help me?" I didn't have the confidence in my ability to even try to do it on my own because I became dependent. I probably could have done it without help, but I didn't think or believe that I could. Then this came to me, "Where there is help, there should also be growth." I became so dependent on the help that I didn't learn from it.

Like in school when the teacher gives you an assignment, and you need help with something. The teacher may help you with that question once or twice, but they expect you to learn through the help and sooner or later get it on your own. So the teacher helps you so you can grow in knowledge to sooner or later do it yourself. When the teacher doesn't help, how do you feel? You feel like no one cares, right? You feel helpless. Now teachers get tired sometimes. They sometimes get to the point where they don't feel like helping. They'd rather sit at the desk and do other things other than helping you with what you need help on. How many of you are glad that God is not like man?

God will help you through anything, if you let him. First you got to want the help. You got to let go and let God. God won't infringe on your freewill. You can say, "Jesus take the wheel" but if your hands is also on the wheel, what's the purpose? When in school if you got a question or you need help, you raise your hand, right? Maybe if some of us lifted up our hands in surrender, we'd be closer to getting the help we need. Second you got to open up your mouth and ask for help. A closed mouth don't get fed. You don't ask for help in class when you needed, you are likely to fail that class right? So naturally so spiritually. You ask God for help, he'll help you. Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help.

I knew I needed help with getting buying groceries. So when I finally filled out an application to get an EBT card, I got the help I needed. If I had not gone to DSS and filled out an application, I'd have no one to blame but me. Sometimes the answer is right in front of our faces, we just got to get up and move. Nobody is going to force you to move. If you can still make your mouth move to form words, you have all you need to ask for help and grow in knowledge.

Some people are dumb because they choose to be. Some people refuse help. And they got to live with that. But Jesus is standing there ready to take you by the hand and lead you in the right direction. Don't feel bad for asking for help. We talked in bible study that it's a shepherd's job to help because sheep are dumb animals. Jesus is the good shepherd right? Let him lead you.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

NEVER THOUGHT I'D KNOW GOD LIKE THIS

June 11, 2015 marked 4 years since my mom picked me up from the hotel to take me to Greenwood, SC. The night before that my Dad and I slept in a bed for the first time in 3 days. More than that if we're talking comfortable bed. First time taking a shower in days. First time taking a good shower in probably weeks. Just coming off sleeping in a van in parking lots and spending the day at the park. Dad took Ginger, our dog at the time, to the human society. I really don't know what happened to her after that, but I like to think that she found a good home. I hate to think the worse. I wasn't the best owner when it came to Ginger...

Back to that day of June 11, 2011. Mom picked me up and I had some of my clothes in a garbage bag. I was badly in need of a haircut. And I got one. No charge at that.

A lot has changed since 2011. I've been in the hospital twice for high blood pressure. I got a full time job and got fired after a year and 4 months. Had a few temp jobs. Finally got my drivers license.  I became one of the sound men at church. I started teaching Bible Study on Wednesday Nights. To the same most of the same folk my Dad was the pastor over. Never thought that would happened. I remember when Bishop Johnson would ask me, "You're going to be preacher like your dad?" I would quickly shut that down. I really should've known better than that. My mom and Dad both teachers in their own right, and now here I am. My current pastor would ask me, "Daniel, are you ready to teach?" My eyes would get wide and I would say, "No sir." The seeds were watered.

Now negative, I'm staying under my mom's apartment at 28 wasn't a life goal I had in life. Neither was going to the E.R. Never thought I'd still be single and not ever have a date. I'm learning more and more that God's timing is not our timing. Never thought I'd have an EBT card at 28. Never wanted that to happen. Never thought I'd be starting the day off taking 6 pills for my blood pressure, weak heart, and one kidney. Never thought I'd be on a low sodium diet. But God is still faithful.

Song writer said, "Who would've thought I know You [God] this way?" I will admit that resistance is not my strong suit, but I am still here by the Grace of God. I'm also learning how to be myself. Like really not be ashamed of Daniel Richerson. I am who I am. I'm crazy. I'm learning I have a choice to be weird or mopey. I choose to be my weird self more than my mad mopey self. I tell my family all the time in responds to "You seem chipper today."I say, "It's better than the other mood right?"

God is not through with me yet.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson