Upon returning from my early morning Hero walk today, I spied a strange sight for the city. Crossing the street almost directly in front of my house was a Momma Possum with three of her off spring on her back. At first I was trying to figure out what kind of animal it was---for you see those three off spring---were not babies----more like half grown teenagers. There she was carrying that load on her back--probably to crawl under someone's house and sleep the heat of the day away after a night of foraging in the neighborhood trash cans. Between the possums and the raccoons, we are fighting a losing battle trying to keep the trash in the can and not all over the yard.
This photo is very near what she looked like--well except there were fewer passengers and they were larger. As I watched her---she never even looked at me, but single mindedly strolled across the street looking straight ahead. It was quite the sight here in the middle of the city. I can just hear her thinking, "HOW MUCH LONGER CAN I CARRY THIS LOAD? HOW FAR TO THE HOUSE?"
As I pondered on this sight---I thought of that old saying
GET OFF MY BACK!
That was often repeated in my growing up years as my brothers and I struggled to establish family hierarchy. For some mysterious reason, we sometimes believe the way to the top is on the back of those below us. We speak of our democracy being borne on the backs of those brave men and women who fought for it. All of us are hesitant to back down when confronted by an opposing view or philosophy. I have been backed up against a wall in confrontations that would make grown men squirm. I have had the hackles on my back raised by seeing injustice. On and on---we have many back idioms which must utterly confuse any English is a second language individual. WHY do we use the back so often in these "figures of speech"? My thought--because the back contains our strongest group of muscles. Without our backs we would be on all fours with either our belly dragging the ground or our spine curved in an arc. Our backs bear our weight. We are encouraged to strengthen our core to try and take some of the huge stress off our backs. So many suffer from back problems--there is an entire medical field devoted to backs. In my observation, once you begin to have problems---it is a slippery slope. Truly--the weight of the world is carried on our backs---figuratively and physically. When we speak of someone needing a back bone---we really need strong muscles to keep that back bone straight far more. Without constant maintenance and strengthening we will one day be doing the nursing home shuffle or in a wheel chair. Our backs are vital for a good quality of life---but our backs will give out without proper care.
Do you see where I am going? Backs are extremely important to our well being--and correspondingly deserve our careful attention to their care. Without our backs--we are in a hot mess. We also have a set of spiritual muscles--gained by time in The Word and speaking with The Author. If we neglect those spiritual muscles they will atrophy and leave us bent over with the weight of walking trough this fallen world. Those muscles when strengthened can carry us through the toughest of times, but if they are weak--almost nonexistent we are bent over and crawling through the mud and mire of life. SO---our backs need to be strengthened to hold us upright---and our spiritual muscles protect our souls and hearts to keep our eyes pointed to the Father. A lesson brought to you from the back of a possum.
"So do not fear,
for I am with you;
do not be dismayed ,
for I am your God.
I will strengthen you
and help you;
I will uphold you with
my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
What a great observation of God's creation and a beautiful analogy, Lulu! There are lessons He teaches everywhere and in everything if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. Thanks for having my back, friend! :)
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