Let Me Give You A Hand

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oward the end of one Christmas vacation, mom and I undecorated their home.  We removed all the Christmas decorations from the inside and from the outside and safely stored them away for another year.  This was no small feat in itself since my mother loves Christmas and decorates literally every room in her home to mark the festive and holy season.

After the trees were packed away, after the ornaments were safely put into their boxes, and after the wreaths were securely hung in the attic, we returned the furniture to its original positions.  It was impossible to tell that just a few hours before the house had been completely decked out in Christmas fashion.  The one thing that remained was to put away the Christmas cookie jar mom had sitting on her kitchen cabinet. 

The jar was a bust of Santa Claus with a flowing beard and a small cardinal perched on his whiskers just below his cheek.  The top of his hat came off to allow access to whatever goodies were hidden inside.  On more than one occasion I removed that hat, helping myself to the cookies inside, and then I replaced it until my next visit to see old Saint Nick!

As we searched and thought about a place to store the cookie jar, mom’s attention was drawn to the space above her kitchen cabinets.  She keeps a collection of glass containers up there in a beautiful arrangement.  She decided this would be the perfect place for the cookie jar.  So we hauled out the step ladder and began rearranging the glass pieces, preparing a place for Santa Claus.

Mom climbed the step ladder and placed the cookie jar. I stood beside her, holding on to her as she stood on that ladder.  I was there for support, both moral and physical, as she gingerly placed that cookie jar on the cabinet and maneuvered it into the exact position she wanted.  When we finished, Saint Nick occupied a strategic place in the kitchen and from his perch he keeps guard over every activity that occurs there.  Although I didn’t place the cookie jar, and although I never touched it, I played an important role in helping to place him on top of the cabinet.

The role of support is one we very seldom think of in our Christian walk.  We always want to be on the front line, in the thick of the battle, and right in the middle of the action.  But what would an army be without support?  What would a general be without foot soldiers? What is a friend if he/she does not lend his support in moments of need or weakness?

Exodus 17:12 examines this very idea of support.  The passage reads, “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.”  Notice the supporting role that Aaron and Hur played.  Moses had instructed Joshua to fight the Amalekites while he held up his staff.  The Scriptures tell us that as long as Moses held his staff aloft, the Israelites were winning; but when he lowered his staff the Amalekites gained the advantage.

That’s when Aaron and Hur stepped in to give Moses a hand.  They knew that Israel’s success depended upon Moses and his ability to maintain the staff’s position in the air. They also knew that Moses’ strength had limits and his endurance could only last so long.  So they stood beside him for support.  When he grew tired, they provided a place for him to sit; and when he arms grew weary, they took his arms, added their strength to his, and kept his arms in the air until Israel won the day.

What a beautiful picture of the role most of us have been called to play in our walk with God.  Not all of us have been called to preach in a pulpit, but all of us have been called to pray for our pastors. Not all of us have been called to a foreign land to work as missionaries, but we have all been called to support our brothers and sisters as they share the good news with others. Not all of us have been called to teach a Sunday school class, lead a Bible study, or preach a sermon, but we have all been called to support those who do. 

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he ministry of support is vital to the body of Christ.  We are to pray for our pastors, we are to help our fellow Christians during times of difficulty and need, and we are to offer our assistance to anyone at any given moment.  We are all called to support each other, to help when the path grows steep and feet and hearts grow weary.  Are you a part of this wonderful ministry of supporting others? Are you giving someone a helping hand today?