Link Arms With Me

Gym class and I were never best buddies when I was a kid. With every activity, be it jumping rope, running the mile, basketball, or line dancing, I dreaded that period with every fiber of my being. I was always the last person chosen on a team because I looked as weak as I was thin, and no one wanted a weak teammate.

I was the last person chosen unless we were playing Red Rover, that is. Leg braces made running nearly impossible, but most of my classmates knew my secret power: my arms were deceivingly strong. In a game where linking arms made everyone stronger, I was a guarantee in helping keep the chain unbroken.

It was easy to forget that strength when I was called to join the other team, though. Running the distance to the other side in my leg braces was painful, shamefully embarrassing and it always seemed to take an excruciatingly long time. But then, I’d join the new chain of my classmates, and suddenly, I felt strong again because I was no longer standing alone. Honestly, for those handful of minutes—I felt invincible because of my team.

Now as an adult, that memory of Red Rover reminds me of how the Body of Christ should work together. When someone is running the distance, those surrounding them are called to link arms in prayer and “catch” the runner. Prayer doesn’t always feel like our strongest asset for loved ones in need, but it always strengthens the weak, and together—because of Christ—that strength is unbreakable.