The “Rebar” in Your Life
Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle is a delightful blend of sights, smells, tastes, and sounds. Beautiful fresh flowers, scrumptious produce, handcrafted journals, handmade soaps, fresh seafood – fishmongers actually throw fish behind the counter to be wrapped! – and live music are only a sampling of the wonderful items that are found there. During my recent visit to Seattle, I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with my family in this captivating place. We walked through the open air market and were completely entranced by the unique gifts and foods that surrounded us.
Halfway through our time there, we stopped along a wall of windows that overlooked the Elliot Bay waterfront. We were about eighty feet from the bay, and from our vantage point, we could see a great deal of construction going on beneath us. The construction was part of an approved plan by the city of Seattle to further develop and improve this popular waterfront. Initially, we noticed a large yellow tower crane looming overhead and dozens of workers installing rebar for a parking garage. The intricately-patterned rebar stretched across half a city block. It was fascinating to watch the workers doing their jobs like bees in a hive. Along the site’s perimeter, there was a concrete mixing truck and near the back of the truck, several workers secured a large concrete bucket. Once it was secure, the crane lifted the bucket of concrete and carefully maneuvered it toward a tall pillar of rebar. Slowly, the bucket was lowered, and two of the workers began pouring the concrete into the tall pillar, molding the liquid into place. As I watched the workers, I realized how important rebar is in construction. It provides tremendous support and strength to concrete. It is used in parking garages, buildings, and highways all over the world to help keep us safe. Yet, I had never stopped to think about its importance before. Granted, I don’t spend a lot of time at construction sites, but it was fascinating to see the assembled patterns of rebar that exist beneath the concrete’s surface. This is the support system we normally take for granted, and it’s the very support system that helps hold everything together.
Rebar is similar to the support systems all of us need in our own lives. Our support systems consist of the people who listen and encourage us along life’s journey. They cheer us up when we are feeling low and celebrate with us during our times of greatest joy and accomplishment. These are the people with whom we are the most vulnerable – unafraid to reveal who we truly are. Our conversations focus on the deeper meanings of life as well as our hopes and dreams for the future. We know we can count on them for anything, and they can count on us.
But sometimes, we don’t always realize the importance of our own support system. We grow accustomed to their constant encouragement and sometimes may take them for granted – even when we don’t mean to. Often, it’s members of our own family or our closest friends who we rely on in difficult times. They are our tribe. Like the rebar, they provide strength and support when we need it most. They want us to live out our purpose for this life – no matter what it might be. Without them, our lives wouldn’t be the same. They are the steel behind the concrete – the people behind the scenes who mean the most to us.
This week, think about your tribe of support. Who keeps you going when you are about to give up? Who pushes you to reach for your dreams? Who believes in you when you stop believing in yourself? These are the members of your tribe – the rebar embedded in your life. They support and encourage you when no one else will. When you get bruised out in the world, they are the ones who bandage you up and embolden you to get right back out there. They want you to live your life to the fullest. Take some time to thank your tribe for their kindness and love. Appreciate all that they are and all that they do. Thank them for believing in you. And the next time you are in a construction zone, notice the importance of the rebar. May it remind you of the strong system of support that surrounds and encourages you every day helping you hold everything together.
