The Supporting Branch

As was driving to church this morning I passed a schoolyard with bushes surrounding the fence.  I spied a somewhat common scene of a tall shrub with a rubberized band around one branch holding up a smaller weaker one.  It reminded me of how we often are called to do the same thing in the church.  A weaker brother or sister needs someone to hold them up for awhile while they pass through a crisis.  God places a strong piece of rubber to tie the weaker branch to the stronger one sometimes for a very long time.  As the weaker branch grows, eventually it no longer needs such intense support. 

It is similar to the story in the Book of Exodus when Moses needed Hur and Aaron to hold up his arms as the Israelites battled the Amalekites. Exodus 17: 12 reads: "But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set."  When Moses's arms were up then the Israelites were winning the battle. If he dropped them, they started to lose.  So God raised up Aaron and Hur to enable him to raise his arms at all times and the Amalekites were defeated. 

There are many instances in Scripture when the one another commands indict us to come alongside a weaker sibling and help support them.  It is such a time for me right now. I am so very grateful for the men and women who have allowed God to join my sagging branch to their stronger and sturdier one for a time of healing and growth.  At some point I'll no longer need the rubberized band connecting me to the branches.  Perhaps I'll be able for the Lord to tie a weaker branch to mine some day.