Leanin' Side

Frequently, I find some gems in my inbox. Dorothy sent the following last week, and while it was new to me, no doubt, it has been circulating the internet for years. If you've seen it before, my apologies.

The essay is not mine, but the photos of abandoned buildings in this post are some I took several years ago. Sadly, many all of these old buildings are no longer standing.

Abandoned shed
near Provo, SD
June 2011
Every time I
 am asked to
 pray, I think of the old 
fellow who
 always prayed, 
'Lord, prop us 
up on our 
leanin' side.'
 

 

After hearing
 him pray that 
prayer many
 times, someone 
asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently. 

Old barn and corrals
north of Laramie, WY
Spring 1976
He answered, 'Well, it's like this. I got an old barn out back. It's been there a long time; it's withstood a lot of weather; it's gone thru a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years. It's still standin’. 

Old house
near Esterbrook, WY
Autumn 1977
 But one day I noticed it was leanin’ to one side a bit. So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leanin’ side so it wouldn't fall.


Abandoned shed
near Provo, SD
June 2011
Then I got to thinkin’ ‘bout how much I was like that old barn. I’ve been around a long time. I've withstood a lot of life's storms. I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life. I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standin’, too. 

But I find myself leanin’ to one side from time to time, so I ask the Lord to prop me up on my leanin’ side, 'cause I figure a lot of us get to leanin’ at times. 


Old cabin
north of Lander, WY
date unknown
Sometimes we get to leanin’ toward anger, leanin’ toward pettiness, leanin’ toward lies, leanin’ toward gossip, leanin’ toward bitterness, leanin’ toward hatred, 
leanin’ toward
cussin', 
leanin’ toward a lot
 of things that we shouldn’t.
 

So we need to
 pray, 'Lord,
 prop us up on
 our leanin'
 side, so we’ll stand 
straight and tall again, to glorify the
 Lord.'' 

* * * * *

From now on, I'll pray for Lord to prop me up on the leanin' side.


Comments

  1. I haven't ever heard it put that way before. I really like this story. I suppose it's made up, but it rings true. I can hear the old fellow praying now. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. New to me too. Just loved it and very appropriate pics. Thanks.

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  3. Well spoken and the pictures are a big plus, too bad they are no longer standing.

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  4. When the Knight and I went to pick up the firehouse awards last Friday, we passed one of my favorite old barns. Remember when advertisers painted the side or roof of a barn or out building instead of a billboard or a TV commercial? Yeah... this one - bullseye feed - is still quite visible. It's hard to get a photo at 60 mph though!

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  5. Great message !
    wyogg

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  6. It is sad to see old buildings like that go. My father is especially touched by it, that's why he spent a lot of time and money to restore the old barn on their property.

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  7. Oh - I have never heard that before. Thank you - yes I often need proping up on my leanin' side. Thank you and wonderful barn pics. I adore old buildings and especially barns. g

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  8. This story/prayer is a new one to me, and it's such a good one! Thanks for sharing it with us, along with the wonderful pictures of barns and structures that have endured some pretty severe weather and winds. Great post, Nancy!

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  9. Love you pictures....and how try that story is!!

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  10. AWWW THAT WAS NEW TO ME AND I LOVED IT NANCY

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  11. I've never seen that before...and I love it. Thanks so much!

    Jen

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  12. What great pictures!! There is such a melancholy beauty in the buildings.

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  13. I need help with my leaning side too:)

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