Someone to Lean On

Several times a week, I drive by a little farm.  This sweet little farm is home to sheep and goats.  It has a creek running through it with a little waterfall in the middle.  On the top of a slight hill sits a red barn that is shelter to the handful of animals that call this farm their own. 

When my kids were younger and we would drive by, they would always try to pick out the same goats they had previously seen.  They even named one Rocky because he was always standing on top of this big rock in the field.  They would laugh to see the goats sitting in their feed troughs and would wonder about the process of sheering the sheep. 

One sunny but chilly morning, I was driving by the farm and the freshly shorn sheep were out enjoying the day. Two sheep were leaning against the side of the red barn.  What I noticed about these sheep was the way they were standing.  The bigger one was leaning up against the siding and the smaller one was resting his head on the hip of his friend.  They both appeared to be asleep.  They were completely still soaking up the heat of the sun. 

It struck me that there was a trust there.  The second sheep needed to trust that his friend wasn't going to go running off allowing him to fall.  There was a sweet intimacy in the picture created by these creatures. 

It got me thinking about the people in my life.  The people I lean on and the people I allow to lean on me.  Do my relationships reflect a sweet intimacy of trust?  Do I allow space for comfort and support to the people in my life?  Do I allow others to hold me up when I need them? 

If I am honest about these questions, I find I fall short in a couple of areas.  I am not always a consistent support to those around me.  I am prone to isolation and good intentions.  I want to act on those subtle nudges I feel to really be there for people.  Whether it is to send a note, make a meal or plan a coffee date.  I also need to allow the people in my life to support me when I need it.  This is a hard one for most people. Asking for help, accepting their responses to the nudges they feel in regard to me. 

I want to love well.  I want to be the example of support and encouragement to those I am in relationship with.  I know with some practiced intention, I can be both the supporter and the supported and I can do it with confidence, grace and love.