When My Arms Get Heavy

I have an amazing group of girls and other extended "family" in Birmingham and really all around me in Alabama and Georgia. (And even as far as Pennsylvania-I see you Cathy and Greg!!) Everyone has been so kind to check on me, ask me if they can help in any way and of course a lot of you already gave me money for all my traveling back and forth. The amount of love and support is really overwhelming and I don't even know if I have adequately thanked y'all.

Even just letting me not be social or allowing me to sit in your living room in your company has been a blessing. Emails, text messages,phone calls and even comments on this blog are so precious to me because I know it is your way to reach out and love on me even though I can't physically feel your hugs.

One of my sweet sweet friends, Amy Dobes, sent me the most beautiful picture of friendship and explained that this was how she and others are there for me in this battle. I love how passages in the Old Testament are so applicable to our lives here and now. They speak so clearly and usually can be so easy to relate too because all of the people God used were very human with flaws and blemishes which is very much just like me and you. They just had longer hair and of course their shoes weren't nearly as cute as mine. :)

But seriously, the Israelites were fighting Amalek and if Moses stood at the top of the hill and held up his staff then Israel would win but if his arms got heavy and tired and dropped they would begin to loose. So his two friends Aaron and Hur let him sit on a rock and they held up his arms and they won the battle.

Israel Defeats Amalek (Exodus 17)

8(J) Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9So Moses said to(K) Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with(L) the staff of God in my hand." 10So(M) Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and(N) Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11Whenever Moses(O) held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and(P) Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13And(Q) Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

(Amy also shared this:)
And here is the chorus to an Andrew Peterson song:
What I need you to do
Is hold up my arms
Like Moses in the desert
When the battle ran long
Hold up my arms
We can go at this together
When my arms aren't strong



What an amazing image! There was a battle below and it was won because of friendship and support. Amy, thank you so much for sharing that with me and for letting me see that I am not alone. You all are in this journey with me and even though today my arms may be heavy you are holding them up for me.

Moreover, that same can be said literally for my Mom. We are physically being her arms for her while we care for her and figuratively you are joining me in praying that though her arms are heavy and tired we will hold them up and they will become well again!

Thank you.