Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Spotter

One day a little boy bowed his head and whispered a prayer to God. He said, “Dear God. So far today I have been pretty good. I haven’t gossiped or lost my temper. I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I am thankful for that. But in a few minutes, I am going to get out of bed. From that point on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help. Amen.

We must learn to depend on God and trust Him in all things. He is the one that gives us our strength. He is the one that sustains us through adversity. He is the one that leads us in the path of righteousness. David said, “The Lord is the strength of my life.”

When I was in prison, I used to lift weights with some of the inmates that were in the yard. One of the first things that I learned was to always have a spotter if I was going to bench press a lot of weight. The spotter’s job is to stand over you and help you lift the barbell if the load is too heavy. Sometimes the spotter will just help you guide the barbell back on the stand. But sometimes he will take the weight completely off of you and put the barbell on the stand himself.

One afternoon I wanted to go to the yard and lift weights. It was very hot that day, so no one else wanted to go outside. So I went alone. There was some weight that I had wanted to lift for quite some time, but was afraid to try because I didn’t want anyone to see me if I failed. I decided to try it while no one was around. That way, if I couldn’t do it, no one would know.

I put the weights on the bar, laid back on the bench, and lifted the bar off of the stand. I lowered the bar onto my chest, but I was only able to lift it half way up. I lowered the bar onto my chest again but was unable to lift it. I realized that I was in trouble and needed a spotter. Somehow, I managed to roll the bar down my stomach, past my thighs and onto the ground. I never tried to bench press any weights without a spotter again.

God is our spotter. He watches over us everyday. Sometimes He just helps us with our burdens. But sometimes He takes them completely off of us. Is your load too heavy? Are your troubles and worries weighing you down? Don’t try to do it alone. Trust the spotter.



- Rev. Burton Barr, Jr. (Author of The Hoodlum Preacher & Amazing Grace: The Storm Is Passing Over.)

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