From the Bottom Looking Up

[S] Ecclesiastes 4:10,12b --
 ¹⁰For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
 ¹²... A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

[O] As a Korean proverb goes -- Even monkeys fall off the trees at times -- we are all bound to fall down here and there no matter how hard and carefully we try to live.  So, having companions close by to lend a hand when I'm facing up flat on my back would be a good thing.  And when I can be the one lending a hand to my friend who's facing up would be a good thing also.  This type of a friendship is what's going to strengthen the fabric of the community I belong to by lifting one another up because as verse 12 closes, such a community will withstand many challenges without giving in easily.

[A] In order to be such a friend to others around me, I need to build more margin around my life such that I will have some room to shift over to those who's fallen down.  My life these days seem to be filled to the brim with so many events to tend to and so very difficult to be an effective "uplifter" for my friends who may be in need of my hand.

[P] Dear God, I pray for wisdom to balance my life better to build more margin around it because I want to be a strength to those around me who may have found themselves facing up from the bottom.  I pray that I would also find friends who may be the one lifting me up from the bottom.  With such striving, please provide a warm and "strong" fabric of community where me and my family may attach ourselves into for maturing in Christ.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.