Lean On // Lean In

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand We all need somebody to lean on I just might have a problem that you'll understand We all need somebody to lean on…

That word. Lean. Lately, it’s been sneaking its way into my thoughts, conversation, and prayers. To be exact, there have 3 encounters that have urged me to ponder my lean in life. (I know that's sounds a bit funky, but stay with me).

Encounter 1: It all started when I went to have my daily afternoon tea with the admin clerks at my school. I usually survey the bulletin board for any school announcements or other important information. To my surprise, I found the full lyrics to "Lean on Me" pinned dead centre on the board. I chuckled to myself and like any person would, I immediately burst into song. It was fun for like 10 seconds, but after the hundredth time “for (five) it won’t be long (short) ‘til I’m gonna need (elbow) somebody to leeeeeeeannnnnn on” plays through your head, you start to go insane.

Encounter 2: Sometimes when I’m playing my guitar, I like to flip open to scripture to strum along to. I decided to open up to Ecclesiastes. I must have been feeling especially existential or something. While reading in chapter 4, I came upon this: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” In short, WE GOTTA LEAN, PEOPLE (and snuggle)!

Encounter 3: I am super lucky to have two other Peace Corps volunteers that live near me. We were recently sharing interesting and insightful videos with each other. Last night, while washing dishes, I watched a Ted Talk recommended by one these incredible friends. It was about a 75 year longitudinal study done to investigate what really makes us happy in life. You can check it out here. These were the words from the close of the talk: “But over and over, in these 75 years, our study has shown that the people who faired the best were the people who leaned into relationships, with family, with friends, with community.”

I guess lean is my word of the week. But it’s not just a word, it’s an action. The act of leaning, in a physical sense, is something you do when you’re hurt, tired, or simply not strong enough to stand alone. It’s not usually something we want to do (unless you're trying to look cool). Rather, leaning is a response to a need. And when we lean, we become dependent on whatever or whoever we lean on. Of course, leaning on people is important in life. We all need support. We all need to be a support for others. That’s pretty clear.

What I’ve really been pondering is this idea of leaning in. If I’m leaning into something it means I’m intentionally putting myself in a situation where I might fall. I’m consciously rejecting stability and instead becoming dependent on something outside of my control. That sounds a little scary to me, but leaning in is really important because it’s the start of moving forward. I had a professor that once told me walking is just falling and catching yourself over and over again. So, the truth is that we can’t move if we don’t first lean in.

One thing I’ve loved about my time in South Africa so far is this culture of leaning in. Whether it be my host mom inviting me to join them for a delicious Sunday dinner, my sister teaching me how to jump rope (She has some seriously cool tricks), or the neighbourhood kids showing up at my door to just “chill.” People in my family, school, and community depend on each other and I’ve seen many take risks to move into new and unknown relationships or situations.

So, I’m working on my lean. The more I do it, the more I am reminded of my ultimate dependence on Christ each and every day.

And I'm here for you, too. You just call on me brother (or sister) when you need a hand!

Lean on. Lean in. Let’s keep moving together.

Love,

Caitlin

P.S. Happy 38th anniversary to my amazing parents!!! You're probably pros at this leaning in and leaning on stuff. :D