Moving a Heavy Chair

I was spying on my daughter from the parking area before pick-up time, as she played in her outdoor summer school classroom. That day the teacher decided to do story time at a different spot, away from the chairs, so all children listened while standing. However, my child wanted to have a seat. The previous day she could not get a seat during story time while all other children did, so that day she made sure she pulled up a chair on time to sit. She was just acting upon the lesson her innocent brain had learnt the previous day.

It was a heavy chair. I saw her struggling to carry it towards the teacher. She tripped multiple times in the process. I wished I could help her. I wished that one of the adults in the classroom would notice her, but she was doing it all alone. My heart melted seeing her make so much effort for something she deemed necessary. But I also felt proud of her as she strove to reach her goal. I knew she was practising and learning so much in the process. A part of me wanted her to do it without help, in order to increase in strength and experience. I knew she would have to navigate so many such situations in her school life and such experiences were essential for her skill development. My heart was content as she finally got the chair near the teacher and sat down.

I could only imagine with how much love our Lord watches us make effort in His Way. When we strive to worship Him, or when we struggle during our hard times, we sometimes feel all alone. We trip and fall multiple times. We wonder when the Help of Allah SWT would come. The companions of the Prophet SallAllahu ‘alayhi waSallam also wondered مَتَى نَصْرُ اللّهِ (When will the Help of Allah come), when they were shaken to their core due to the difficulties they faced. Allah SWT beautifully Responded that indeed the Help of Allah is near.

Allah’s Help is always near for us as well. His Loving gaze towards us never wavers. But He Puts us through certain situations to strengthen us and to teach us important lessons that we need to navigate our lives.