“Lean on Me”
“I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”*
Recently a friend asked me how I think of
things to write for my weekly “Good News!” articles. The purpose of the
articles is to show how God loves us, and how He desires to be personally
involved in every aspect of our lives.
Sometimes the topic is very clear…an answered
prayer, a conversation with someone, or an interview… But then there are those
weeks when it is harder to discern the message. Either too much going on or
maybe not enough!
Occasionally a word or phrase seems to pop into
my head and sticks there! When that happens, I have to pray and wait patiently
until the message for that week becomes clear. God has been faithful week after
week to guide me and to give me the words…a great answer to ongoing prayer,
backed up by a couple of support people who constantly pray for and encourage
me in this writing endeavor.
Whether or not this week’s theme came from
hearing the oldie but goodie song, “Lean on Me,” I wasn’t sure. However, those
words had been revolving around in my brain for several days. “Lean on me” was a good start, but what should come next?
Finally, while sitting at the dinner table, an
adventure that Al and I had one day at Lake Success near Porterville,
California came to mind. We used to enjoy paddling our canoe around the
shoreline near the spot where the main fork of the Tule River ran into the
lake. There were always dozens of birds in the water and on the shore. Grebes,
coots, mallards, white pelicans, and occasionally a bald eagle could be spotted
there.
One day we decided to leave the canoe home and
walk along the shore toward the opening of the river. With the warmer spring
weather, the water in the lake had receded, exposing silt deposited over many
years. In the summer the mud would harden into cakes and crack. In the spring the soil seemed firm on the
surface but was soggy underneath.
As we were walking along, I noticed that the
ground felt a little spongy and became alarmed.
“Honey, I think we should turn around,” I told
Al who was walking ahead of me.
On the very next step, there was a slurping
noise and Al was sucked down into a bog up to his knees! I had visions of his
going down to the neck and then disappearing altogether, but he assured me it
wasn’t quicksand. However as hard as he tried, the muck had him firmly in its
grip. It was too risky for me get any closer, and even if I could have, I wasn’t
strong enough to pull him out on my own.
Just when I was ready to run to the parking lot
to find someone to help, he spied a large piece of driftwood and asked me to
throw it to him. Now that was chancy, with my poor aim and weak throwing skills!
Thankfully,
I managed to get the wood close enough to him so that he could lean on it for
leverage. With a big pull, he freed first one leg and then the other, leaving a
boot behind in the mud. We were both greatly relieved when we were back on
solid ground!
It is a blessing knowing that we can lean on
the Lord in times of trouble. He is able to bear the weight of our sorrows and
burdens, lifting us and carrying us when we feel overwhelmed. In the song by
Bill Withers previously mentioned, I hear the Lord’s voice calling out to us.
Just as Peter grasped Jesus’ hand when the
waves of Lake Galilee began to wash over him and clung to him tightly while
walking together over the turbulent waters until safely back in the boat, so we
can depend on Jesus. He hears us even in the middle of the night…and says,
“Lean on me!”
“Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me
When you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on...”
(“Lean on me,” by Bill Withers, 1972)
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