One-Anothering

My youngest daughter babysits for families from our church.
In the morning, she babysat for a special family with two daughters.
In the afternoon, she babysat for a precious family with four sons.
She loves each of the children and they love her right back.

There is such a difference between girls and boys…not just anatomically but in the way they are wired…in their likes and dislikes…in the way they play.

I had a son after having two daughters.
My husband’s mother gave me some advice.
Wait until you see how different they are!
Give boys dirt and a dump truck and they are happy…but girls need to be entertained.

I didn’t always agree with that statement since my oldest daughter would easily pick up wooly worms…and she loved sports.
As far as entertainment, their imagination took care of that.

Blankets over chairs became forts and tunnels and caves.
A refrigerator box became a house that they all decorated with markers…drawing curtains on windows…drawing window boxes and furniture.

My husband would cut out windows and a door that actually swung open.
The box, that became a house, would stay in the family room for quite a while.
Since it was played with so much, it began to lean over.
It was moved to the garage.
Finally, it would sadly…reluctantly…go out with the trash.

Today, my daughter came back very excited from the house with the four boys.
The second youngest boy learned how to ride his two wheel bike today.
My daughter diligently held on to the back of the seat, while he pedaled on the driveway.
She could tell that today he had good balance and was ready to try this himself.

You’re really doing great! Should I let go? Think you’re ready to do this all by yourself?
YES!

And off he went…around the driveway.
So excited…so proud!

His Dad came home first and he couldn’t wait to show him his new found skill!
His Mom returned from her errands and he was ready to show her how he can ride!
Praise!
Applause!
He did it!

His Dad went with him to the other side of the street…where the sidewalks were…and let him ride back and forth.
Success!

What a wonderful afternoon she had…since she was able to share this milestone with him.

We are not so terribly different from this little boy on his two wheel bike.
We go along, pedaling on our way, thinking we can do this by ourselves.
All the while He has us…keeping us steady…helping us to balance.

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on one side, one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with a sword. (Exodus 17:8-13)

Oh, how we need support.
We can’t do life alone.
How often we need someone to hold up our hands when we grow tired.

God, in His grace and mercy, gives us others to walk with us on this journey.
He gives us others to help carry our burden…to lighten the load…to lend support.
Community.
One-anothering.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
(Galatians 6:2)

Even Jesus had someone ease His burden.
After being arrested, sentenced to death on the cross, mocked, beaten…His back torn and crusted with dried blood…Jesus could not carry the weight of the cross beam alone.

The law of Roman Impressment stated that a soldier could demand that you carry a burden for one mile.

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. (Mark 15:21)

Even though Simon was impressed to carry Jesus’ cross, his action was not in vain.
Simon must have been very affected by what he saw, and perhaps heard, as he walked with Jesus and carried His cross.
God’s Word tells us that Simon’s sons, Alexander and Rufus, were believers in the early church. (Acts 19:33 and Romans 16:13)
Their father, Simon, believed and brought them up in the faith.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Whose hands need to be held up today?
Who needs help carrying a burden?

You’re really doing great!
Should I let go?
Think you’re ready to do this all by yourself?
Yes!
Praise…Applause…from the great cloud of witnesses.