We all need somebody to lean on
Yesterday, I had an epiphony.
As I was spending time with some women from the church, I invited them to share what God was doing in their individual lives at that moment. The first woman to share was listened to intensely. The silence was absolute as she shared God’s work in her circumstances, life and health. Then, we spoke about random other things.
Eventually, I was able to move on to the second woman. As she shared, the silence wasn’t so absolute. She was interrupted a few times (I was guilty of a time or two) and we had to keep steering the boat back on course. Ultimately, after a long time due to our comments and such things, she completed her statements and I moved on to the next one.
No one listened to her at first. Only I tuned into her words as others talked to each other and began cleaning up the plates from our feast. I could feel the pain in her words as she spoke of failings and stumblings that had happened recently and due to my recent face-plants, I completely understood the pain she was feeling. Yet, business as usual was occurring all around us.
Eventually, others began to listen. Where once there were five women, now there were three as the two others did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. I was annoyed with this lack of concern. I was annoyed because I knew that the woman talking struggled with feeling important and that what she needed was solid, Christian relationships and that the actions of the others were closing her off to that, at least in that moment.
Ultimately, all were back and helping with advice but they had missed the earlier words of the woman, the earlier pleas for understanding and somebody to lean on.
I know that the women that were distracted and drawn away did not do so because they didn’t care. I believe that they didn’t realize how it felt or appeared to others. It gave off an air of unconcern. I was rather disheartened by it because I have been on the other side. A lot of people don’t realize how vital human contact is.
Sharing the Good News with each other is what makes Christian relationships so special. In those moments, you can honestly say what God is doing in your life without wondering what the others are thinking. Why? Because they have relationships with God as well and can fully understand and value what is being revealed to you.
So here is what I say. Be aware. Be aware of those around you. Seek out those people that haven’t sought you out. Be friends with the person that sits alone in the back row pew. Show others their value as Jesus Christ has shown you yours. Love them, help them, hear them, laugh with them. Go out for coffee or to the park or to a play. Find common interests and spend some time getting to know others.
This weekend, we are going to spend the night in a nearby town after watching the firework display. Saturday, we are going to spend the day shopping and hanging out, eating lunch at a fun Brazilian restaurant, and maybe playing some miniature golf. And in this there will be many new relationships formed and old ones strengthened.
If everyone reached out to each other, there would be no lack of feeling welcome, wanted, loved and needed because everyone would be reaching out to someone.
And the reason to do all this is so simple: WE ALL NEED SOMEBODY TO LEAN ON
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