Supported

The weather has been extraordinary this week, bringing on spring fever, walks around the neighborhood, and many, many outings to Leah’s playset in the back yard. She loves it more every time we go out, it seems, and is always finding new ways to enjoy it. Yesterday, in fact, she discovered a ladder on the end that leads up to the monkey bars.

While she is still too small to take on the monkey bars (and in fact doesn’t really even know they are there or what they’re for), she is definitely not too small to climb a ladder with gusto. Before I really even knew she had made it to that end, she was up, up, and away – standing on the top rung with a satisfied grin on her face and wondering, I’m sure, why the rungs stopped there.

“Mommy climb up? Mommy, too?” she asked, earnestly wanting me, her playmate, to join her up there.

I was too concerned for her safety to climb, though, and told her so. “Honey, I need to stay down here. It’s my job to support you while you climb.”

And as I did just that – standing behind her when she came down and went back up again, and holding her ankles while she let go to inspect an irregularity in the wood – I was thinking. She can safely go higher and higher, playing and enjoying herself and exploring new places and things, because she trusts that someone is there supporting her. Granted, she started climbing before I reached my position of support, but she knew – I really think she knew – that I would be there if she fell.

It’s beautiful, isn’t it? What’s just as beautiful, to me, is that I – on the verge of taking my second international mission trip in under a year – have a similar support system. I’m so grateful for the people who are making this possible for me. I’m humbled that though they do not feel the call to go on the trip themselves, they would contribute money and time and energy to support me. They aren’t called to go to Belize right now – or ever – but they are fully embracing their calling to support me while I climb and explore the plans the Lord has for me.

Their support does not guarantee success. What it does, though, is ensure that if I need them – if I stumble or fall or need anything at all – they will be there, doing all in their power to uplift me in prayer and tangible ways.

To me, their obedience to the Lord and dedication to His work is more inspiring than that of those of us who are going. I’m so grateful to have been able to witness such faithfulness, and I’m humbled to be the one they support in the Lord’s work.

To all of you…….thank you. You are a blessing.

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this: that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3-6)