“Sometimes in our lives we all have pain and we all have sorrow.” Lean on Me is a great song, however unfortunately that line is only too true.*
Life can be hard.
There are days our strength doesn’t stretch to cover what it brings. Covid19, the unfortunate death of George Floyd with protests which resulted in some out of hand, violent protests, an unexpected large bill, the loss of a job, a divorce, a sick family member, etc.
The list goes on and on and on.
They can be leftovers from yesterday, others come with the dawn. Either way, they can knock the wind out of us. We may have family and/or friends to sympathize, perhaps help. However, at times there’s nothing anyone can do. Sometimes—there’s no one who can help. Sometimes. there is no one we can lean on.
In a yesteryear cartoon, there’s an old thin sailor Popeye who when an enemy came against him or his girlfriend Olive Oil, he’d take out his can of spinach from his pocket and down it. He muscles miraculously pumped up, he turned into a human dynamo. He once again was able to fight, and win over his enemy of the day.
We don’t have a can of spinach in our pocket. But, we have better. Much better. We have God in us. God with us. God for us. Through the years, again and again, I’ve found I can indeed lean on Him and He never fails.
One day came with an unexpected and unwanted health crisis. My husband ended up in the hospital with a stroke. He finally was sleeping. I escaped to hospital chapel. It was there God met me in a special way. He reminded me that He was my strength, and that my husband’s outcome didn’t depend on a doctor’s report, but on Him who was the blessed Controller of all things.** As the song goes, You saw me crying in the chapel.*** I had cried out to Him. I leaned on Him. He heard. He brought me peace as only He can.
When I left that chapel, as His word says, I had strengthen for the day whatever might come.****
For you too, not matter what leftovers are sapping your strength and joy. Whatever unwelcome new comer has invaded your day, you can cry out to Him. He will hear you. He will give peace, strength and wisdom for the day. If the time ever comes that you don’t have strength to put one foot in front of the other – He’ll carry you.
*You Can Lean on Me by Bill Withers
** God is the Blessed Controller of all things (1 Tim 6:15 Phillips trans.)
***Crying in the Chapel by Artie Glen
**** As your days, so shall your strength be. (Deut 33:25b NKJV)