I was at the coffee counter at work one morning, and I asked an approaching paralegal friend of mine how she was doing. We exchanged the usual “fine, and you,” remarks, but after a few seconds of silently stirring my milk and sugar into a nice swirl, I blurted out the following sentence, “Do you need a miracle every day? I do. I need a miracle daily just to keep going… Is it just me? Am I the only one who will admit to it? Or, are you just really fine? I’m not. I’m not fine at all. I’m exhausted and worn out, and if God doesn’t help me through every day and provide all the things that He provides, I’ll collapse, I’ll collapse right here at this coffee counter or before I even make it to this coffee counter, because caffeine alone isn’t enough for me. I need a miracle every day, I need God’s miracle of loving-kindness every day, and I was just wondering if you felt the same way, or if you were truly ‘just fine’ for real.”
She stared at me in pure amazement that I had said what I just said, and she laughed a little and said, “No, I’m really just fine, I need a miracle sometimes, but for the most part, I’m fine.”
Well, I decided that I was definitely on the “high maintenance” list in Heaven. The term “high maintenance” here on earth simply means a lot of upkeep required, whether that upkeep is referring to a car, a person’s emotional status, the “high-maintenance” needs of children, a spouse, a boss, etc. But as far as the meaning of “high maintenance” in Heaven’s dictionary, I mean that I am constantly asking God to help me out, to provide a way, to give me strength and endurance, thanking Him for His faithfulness, trying to talk with Him more than I take from Him, and trying to give Him the glory, because it’s not about me – even when I think it is – It’s about Him, and it’s about the fact that He is maintaining my life and the needs of my life from a place on High. I am definitely “high-maintenance”, and I’m just glad that God doesn’t mind the “upkeep.”
HIGH MAINTENANCE
If there is a to-do list up in Heaven
And assignments handed out
I bet I am on it
Without a doubt
For I always seem to be calling
Again and again
Asking God for a miracle
Or just His ear to lend
And if He categorizes His constant callers
On a scroll to record
Well then His secretary because of me
I bet is never bored
I’m high maintenance for Heaven
If His staff were human they’d ask for some time off
Cause I’m calling even when
It’s just about a cough
And as my life continues
And my things to do does grow
I’m asking Him all the time how to handle it
For surely He does know
Grocery shopping, working, paying bills
Walking with two kids into church from the rain
I just can’t do it all
So of course I call out His name
It’s great to know that God
Can’t just change His number
And that He’s not rude
Or gets irritated with me like the thunder
It’s great to know that God
Can maintain us from on High
And that He understands
Even the quietest of sighs
Warrior Moms,
Know this – God knows what you need before you even ask. He knows your heart’s desires. He knows you through and through and loves you unconditionally!
Love,
Kristina
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls. - Joel 2:32
Like the clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.
Jeremiah 18:5
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.