I remember when my older sons were nearing double-digits, and we were outside doing yard work together. The project loomed large, and we were pretty much getting nowhere fast. I was frustrated with our lack of progress, and thinking about what needed to be done. I was startled to realize the buck stopped with me — I am the mom. No one else was going to sweep in and fix it for me. It was my job to figure it out, and I didn’t like the heaviness of the responsibility at that moment.

Have you ever wished the buck could stop somewhere else? Yeah, me too.

I think it’s like that in most areas of leadership as well. Some responsibilities are so much fun, while others challenge at every turn. And some days, it’s just no fun at all to be in charge.

Being the bearer of bad news or confronting someone because of a conflict is not on my list of enjoyable jobs. Leading through tragic circumstances and forging a way through seeming darkness are difficult too.

But God grants grace for each moment. For each of the responsibilities of leadership — for whatever we may be leading — for whatever type of strength we need — God is willing to help us with each one. When we acknowledge our dependence upon him, he is closer than the mention of his name.

And isn’t that part of the rub? To lead well, we need to learn to follow even better. “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ,” 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV).