All in this together

"You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone." 

--Exodus 18:18

It has been long-- too long-- since I posted here. I thought about it a number of times, but nothing was happening, no nudges. So I waited. 

In light of the events in my nation, the Boston Marathon bombing and the West Texas refinery fire, the shock and pain has, at times, felt overwhelming for many. The places we thought of as safe, now feel shaky. We look at each face differently. A young man carrying a large backpack can bring a brief flash of fear.

But we are not called to live in a spirit of fear. The spirit of the Most High is a spirit of freedom and perseverance. (This is not to say a Christian never experiences fear. We are still human, still broken. But we have hope.)

And we have each other.

Despite his pleadings with God that he was unsuited to leadership, Moses was, in reality, the consummate overachiever. He was trying to do it all himself, somehow certain that his "connection" with Yahweh was his alone; no one else could offer a word of advice or wisdom to the community but him. As he grew more and more tired, as his energy dwindled, he had a visit from his father-in-law Jethro.

And Jethro spoke truth.

He suggested that much of what Moses was doing could be done by others. He showed Moses how to delegate. 

And everyone became healthier as a result.

That's one part of it. But the other part is to allow ourselves to be assisted when we just cannot carry on alone. In Exodus 17, Joshua is battling the Amalekites, and Moses is standing overseeing the battle, with the staff of the Lord raised high.

When Moses grows weary, his arms drop-- and the Amalekites begin to take the battle. When he raises his arms-- victory: Joshua. But it was a long day and a long battle.

This could have been problematic, if not for Aaron and Hur.

When Moses tired, they got him a rock to sit on, and they stood-- or sat-- one on each side and kept his arms raised.

And his hands remained steady until sunset. And the victory was the Lord's-- and Joshua's.

So what does this mean to us?

It means we are not designed to walk alone in times of trouble that wear us down. It means, when we are hurting or in pain, that there are others who care about us and are willing and able to give us a break. And Moses didn't even have to ask.

Aaron and Hur could see. Moses was worn down. They knew he needed help-- and they gave it. 

We don't know if Moses tried to slough them off or not. We just know that they gave help when help was needed.

And so can we.

These are tough days. The darkness lurks, grabs at our souls and tries to convince us that something's changed. But it hasn't.

God still reigns. God is with us-- Emmanuel-- in the faces of first responders and strangers donating blood, in the cup of cool water offered and the gentle touch of a hand. God is with us in our tears, and with us when we stand, brush ourselves off and seek to adjust our definition of "normal" in light of recent events.

We-- each one of us-- are God's perfect love, with flesh on. Each one of us. Sometimes we sit on the rock and receive; sometimes we stand strong and find ways to give.

And I cannot help but offer you this. Amen

Lean on Me