I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast.
Before diving into this Happy Friday I want to respectfully ask for your prayers for those in the path of Hurricane Irma as well as those who continue to recover from Hurricane Harvey. Thank you so much! :)
I want to share a couple of other things that really touched my heart last week as we dealt with Hurricane Harvey - I meant to share them last week however the heart was overflowing and I kinda got caught up in the moment. :)
The first is a conversation I had with my youngest Tender Warrior, Landry. On the Monday after the biggest rains, when many had already been rescued and taken to evacuation shelters, my Beautiful Bride & Landry took needed items to one of the evacuation shelters. As Landry & I sat down to have lunch I could tell something was on his mind. He went on to tell me that as he & Kath walked a way from the church that was serving as the shelter he turned around and looked back. A little girl, holding her dog on a leash, waved goodbye to him. His eyes welled with tears as he told me this and he then looked down. I asked him if this hurt his heart and he shook his head "yes" without lifting it. I then told him we needed to be praying for this little girl and her family. Again, he shook his head "yes." As I sat there and looked at this perfect picture of what a Tender Warrior really looks like, I was so grateful for the heart of compassion that beats in the chest of this little man. I am highly confident that it is the image of this little girl, forever emblazoned in his heart & mind, that drives him to continually serve those impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
The second was the countless calls, emails, messages on Facebook, etc. that I received from friends - I use this term here to encompass all friends, former co-workers, coaches, players, etc. that we have been privileged to do life with - from all across the country. Some I had literally not heard from or spoken to in years. Sometimes we get so caught up in the "I have not spoken to them in years" or, "It really wouldn't matter" that we don't make the call or send the text. Please, let me testify, it DOES matter. I can't begin to tell you how much every single communication meant to me. So please, the next time you feel that little conviction in your spirit to reach out to someone, do it! It will truly bless both of your lives.
So, those two things are not at all what I REALLY want to talk about this Friday! :) What I really want to talk about is the need we all have, at some point in time, to borrow from someone else's strength. I couldn't capture exactly how to say this however I knew what it looked like...I had seen it several times over the past two weeks. I had looked into the eyes of men who loved their families just like me, who were striving every day to be the best men, husbands & fathers they could be just like me and they were broken. The thought that kept coming to my mind was "borrowed strength," and I was very willing to share every ounce of strength I had, however I couldn't come up with the right words to articulate it. Then, on Wednesday, I saw a video from the Tonight Show were Jimmy Fallon announced a $1,000,000 donation to J.J. Watts Foundation for Hurricane Harvey Relief. After making the announcement, the Houston Gospel Choir sang "Lean On Me." Tears welled in my eyes as I realized that this song, by Bill Withers, captured what I was seeing perfectly. If you want to be blessed by a beautiful rendition of this song, please go to YouTube and look up "lean on me at the tonight show" and you will find it.
Here are a few lyrics from this song:
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
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Please swallow your pride
If I have faith you need to borrow
For no one fill those of your needs
That you won't let show
Just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
And one more stanza to share...
If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
My eyes again welled with tears as I typed those words for I have seen them lived out. There is great wisdom in this song, great wisdom!
Right about now you might be saying something like, "Ya Kev, but I live in Arizona, Nebraska or somewhere else completely unaffected by Hurricane Harvey." Here is the thing, people are experiencing hurricanes in their lives all of the time...just like me and you. It might not be a storm of nature however it could be a mental, physical or spiritual storm. Will you & I have eyes & hearts to see? Will we let them lean on us? We will be their friend? Will we help them carry on? Because, just as the song continues on, the day is coming when each one of us will face our own storm...not if, when! We will in fact need someone to be strong for us when we cannot be strong, not because we don't want to but because the waters are raging.
And there is a real key, four word, sentence typed above...I hope you caught it. It says, "Please swallow your pride." I have seen this, and had this conversation more than once, over the course of the past couple of weeks. Strong men - spiritually, mentally & physically - who are suddenly struck with the realization that they don't have enough strength this time. There is a progression you can see of determination, resignation and then humility. There will be a time when we will all need to swallow our pride, raise a hand for help and then be carried by our friends - whether for 1 step or 20. There is no shame in this...perhaps just another form of strength.
I want to close by sharing a couple of scriptures that speak directly to being someone others can lean on.
"Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."
- Romans 12: 13
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity."
- Proverbs 17: 17
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
- Galatians 6: 2
I pray that each one of us will be one that others can lean on when they are not strong! :)
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
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