Super-Woman...or Man

Watch this video before reading on...

Wow. All I can say is wow. This video really touched me and made me think about my life and my relationships.

I think at some point in our lives we all fall into the trap of thinking that we're alone in whatever fight we're in. Whether it's fighting to get a new job, fighting to find a new home, fighting to have a baby, fighting to find a spouse, fighting to lose weight, fighting to live right, fighting to stay above water with finances, fighting to right the wrongs of the world, fighting for orphaned children, fighting for peace...whatever we're fighting for, sometimes we feel alone and that's never what God intended.

Our pastor has done a couple weddings lately that I attended. The ceremonies were totally different from each other except one part. Pastor Tracy talked about how God took a rib from Adam's side to make Eve. He didn't take from the back so that she would be behind him, or from the front so that she would be in front of him, or from the bottom so that she would be beneath him. He took from the side so that she would be beside him. Standing by him.

I often find myself saying "If I don't do this, no one else will" or "If I don't do it, it won't get done right". Not saying that in a prideful way - only saying that I tend to bear weight that I was never supposed to bear alone. That's the Superwoman (or Superman) in us.  From an early age I learned that if I was to accomplish anything, it was on me to do it. This is a good philosophy to have, but at times it can cause us to burn ourselves out trying to do it all alone.

Sometimes we may not have the right thing to say, or the right thing to do, but the act of simply standing by a person can make all the difference in the world. I saw a perfect example of this in Target the other night: We passed a mom and toddler carrying a gallon of milk. The toddler had her hand on the handle right along with her moms. While we all know the toddler wasn't really contributing to carrying the load, she was still standing by her mom. We all have that need in us to stand by others. I believe God formed us with the desire to stand by others and to have them stand by us. 

I have some physical issues that cause me pain on a daily basis. Last night was one of my really bad nights. On nights like that, Chase doesn't know how to help me but often tells me he wishes he could. In those times, all I want is for him to stand by me. I just need him there in case I need to lean on him. Emotionally or physically. Just standing by me is enough to keep me moving forward.

To Chase - the love of my life - I will stand by you. No matter where God does or does not take us in this life, I will stand by you.

To my friends - my soul-sisters - I will stand by you. Through our ledges we get on and are talked off of, and our many seasons in life, I will stand by you.

If we could all learn to stand by others - not just the ones we love, but also the ones at home and around the world - we could make this world a better place. After all, no matter who you are, no matter where you go in your life, at some point you're gonna need somebody to stand by you.

I recommend watching this video again. I hope it touches you as much as it has me.