I have three children, two girls and a boy. Several years ago, I was wrestling with the older girl and the boy. We do that a lot. Imagine screams mixed with laughter and the occasional head bonk.

They charge at me and I grab them, swing them around, and toss them on the couch. They giggle with delight and then body-check me at full speed. (My wife cringes while all of this is going on — but hey, this is some of what we dads do best!)

But off to the side, my younger daughter watches. She's not sure if it's serious or not. But she thinks that I might be hurt and yells, "No, this my daddy!"

She wants to defend me. But all she can do is run over and give me a hug. She buries her head deep in my chest and tightens her tiny arms around my neck. "No, this my daddy!" I tell her that it's okay and that her brother and sister and I are just playing. But still, she clings.

That's how she stands up for me. Maybe, she doesn't know enough to hit out at her brother or sister, or devise some other clever strategy to offer rescue. The only thing that she knows how to do is run to me and hug me.

When someone is hurting, we often search for the right words or explanations. Or we busy ourselves with a hundred clever rescue strategies — when all we need to do is to be there.

In John 15:12, Jesus says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (NKJV) Sometimes, that's simpler than we make it out to be.

Is there someone in your life right now who needs some support? Maybe you don't know what to say. Maybe you don't have the right strategy. That's okay. Take some teaching from a two-year old: Just be there. And maybe even give a hug.

Sometimes, the best way to stand up for someone is simply to stand beside them.

Prayer: Lord, give us the willingness and courage to stand up for others by standing beside them. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Matthew Ruttan <matthew@matthewruttan.com>
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
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