The Leaning Post

Picture provided by: vprsstamford.org

 Today, in church, I witnessed something few of us pay attention to. The weight of burden on my pastor’s shoulders had come to the point of almost unbearable. It was a gut-wrenching blow to my consciousness to see the man we all lean on for strength and council, plus constant encouragement, be broken in that manner.

My mind raced with thoughts of what it was I could do. Pray, was what he asked of us, and yes, I could most certainly do that.

I reflected on these past few months after losing my job, and going through my own personal struggles in life. I saw how when my son was in trouble, after his father and I did our part to help bring him out of it, the next person we thought to lean on was our pastor; my son included.

When I went to him, he smiled, and made himself available to my son, fully expecting for him to do his part and reach out to him, so he could be there. He says these things not just in word, but I have seen with my own eyes how he’s made himself available to myself and my family, counseling us whenever we need. And what have we done? That was my question. What have we done to help carry the weight of the load on this one man’s shoulders?

I racked my brain through the years that my family and I have been members of this church. Sure, we helped and paid our tithes, but were our efforts enough? Because if that were true, why is it that we still allow for him & his family to carry the bulk of the load?

On the drive home, I was hit with a vision of a leaning post. This was how I imagined my pastor must have felt on that pulpit, pouring his heart out to us. Every day people pass by a leaning post expecting it to do its job with no thanks (or even help) required. And every day, that post is just where it is expected to be, doing the job it is expected to do, never bending under the pressure, and most certainly will not break. At least that’s what others think.

Sometimes we forget, our pastors are people too. Commissioned for a great assignment, yes, but still in need of lifting up just as we do.

 The Leaning Post

Set in the middle

Of a busy passage way 

Was a post 

Built solely for the purpose

For which those who grew weary 

Could lean

Daily they passed him

By-and-by

Using him to ease their pain

And bring comfort to their many aches

Always pulling

The strength from his strength 

Taking from him for themselves 

All there was for them to take

The reliable leaning post

Never gave in

Not once bending

Under the stress of their weight

Even as chips of his luster 

Over time

Began to fade away

Often over used

But rarely ever not needed

He weathered all storms 

Looking all but worn

Save those chips from his paint

Which patterned with age

As time moved on

The people, they watched & watched

As those chips took form

Waiting for him to give way

Yet, something in him, they could not see

Prevented the leaning post

From shattering 

Under the depths of all their weight

He was anchored down

Roots bearing deep 

Deep into the solid ground

Streams of power chords

Running through his veins

They reached up

All the way up

To the source of Light

Shining at the head of his base

It wasn’t until 

The earth came alive

And one day began to shake

The leaning post rooted

So deeply and still

Could not stand 

Under its ravenous quake

When all things were cleared

And folks came back 

To meet in the street

The old leaning post

They saw, what was to be

The oddest sight they’d ever seen

The leaning post

Which each depended on

Had itself began to lean

They all looked around 

Wondering how

He would get back to 

Giving them a place

To lean

One by one

All went on home

Until the street

Where the old leaning post

Now, himself leaned, 

Became empty 

Save for the lone post

Being all that there was to be seen

Returning with tools of their own

To rebuild his towering strength 

Each person worked diligently

Until his paint shined 

With a lustrous sheen 

Together they toiled

Helping the post stand up tall

And polishing the outer layer 

Until the leaning post

No longer leaned 

Thank you Pastor, for being our leaning post.