40 Acts: Day 9 - 'Lean'

No one likes to admit to needing help but we wouldn't be human if we didn't need a helping hand from time-to-time. Whether our struggles are big or small, having someone to lean on can make all the difference. So, today, you're looking out to be someone's leaning post.

"If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. 

But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV)

Picture the scene – two English girls in Peru, at the start of the Inca Trail.
Part of a large group, mostly made up of experienced, prepared and super fit walkers. If this was a TV reality show, the camera would zoom in and the voiceover would run, 'Sian and Emma haven't trained or prepared for this gruelling journey.'
We already know how this goes.Being sisters helped (as did the porters who shouldered 25 kg of baggage each) and for the first couple of days we laughed our way through the tough bits. Knowing my tendency to panic when pushed to my physical limit, Emma kept my thoughts upbeat – promising me amazing views once we reached the high point (and glossing over the fact it was called 'Dead Woman's Pass'). After five hours of straight climbing, pushing on through several bouts of heart palpitations with Emma's encouragement (no way was I being turned back on health grounds), even I had to admit it was worth it.
The views were spectacular.

Having peaked, it was then downhill for two more days: two days of testing drops and huge boulders which stretched Emma's legs to their limit.
All of a sudden the tables turned: it was Emma that needed encouraging.
We drifted back to the back in the group, eventually lagging an hour behind the others, and by nightfall Emma showed signs of altitude sickness.
We had yet to face the 'Gringo Killer' – a narrow set of stairs so steep it's like scrambling a wall – to reach the finish and a spectacular sunrise.
With each clamber and jolt, I realised that my strong-willed sister was starting to crumble.
Despite all this we kept going, and at sunrise there we were, at the sun gate looking down at Macchu Picchu.
And it was stunning.
We had done it; we had successfully completed the Inca Trail.
We walked down from the sun gate celebrating with slightly less enthusiasm than we had anticipated, and posed for the typical photo in front of the ancient ruin.
And then Emma passed out.

This was no place for panic – now it was my turn to be the strong one.
We had leaned on each other for different reasons and all under the watchful eyes of the porters who had probably seen it all before.

I’ve since told this story many times and I’m still learning spiritual lessons from it: how we can all imagine we can do things in our own strength;
how our own weakness is no barrier to helping others;
how Jesus carries the weight we can’t carry, much like the porters;
how sometimes we’re the one to give help and other times accept it from others.
So next time you see a chance to be someone’s leaning post, step up – because you could be the person God’s put on that spot.

Today's blog was written by Sian Davison

Choose how to complete this act...

GREEN OPTION: Go through your day as you would normally. But look out for someone going through a moment's trouble: offer to carry a heavy bag, unpack shopping, finish off chores.   YELLOW OPTION: Who do you know who would appreciate a hand this evening? Show you're shoulder-to-shoulder with them by promising an hour or two of your time. RED OPTION: Know someone who's flagging and needs some real 'get stuck in' kind of help? Put your shoulder to the proverbial wheel and do what it takes to give them a break/a hand/a day off. Or schedule a time this week, and let them know you'll be there to help them.