Category: Lean on Me

So, for the last long while, I’ve been writing my third book. A month after I turned in the rough draft to my publisher, we still didn’t have a title. I asked my editor Adria to suggest a few after she read it. In one of her emails, the word Leaning came up.

Slightly in jest and slightly serious, I wrote back, what about Lean on Me?

She responded and said she actually considered that, but dismissed it, not sure if it was too cheesy or not.

I loved it. I searched for the lyrics of yes, that old song Lean on Me, and realized it conveys so much the heart of the book.

Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain, we all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always tomorrow

Lean on me when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on

Please, swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won’t let show

You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you’ll understand
We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on

You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you’ll understand
We all need somebody to lean on

If there is a load
You have to bear that you can’t carry
I’m right up the road, I’ll share your load
If you just call me…

Coming to pages and eReader screens September 2014:

Lean On Me: The Value of Intentional, Vulnerable, and Consistent Community.

It’s a story of a girl who learned a lot about needing community and being community and the beautiful themes woven within. It’s a story of how God used likely and unlikely people to communicate His love and hope. It’s a story of crisis and redemption.

It’s a story for all of us and I can’t wait to share more with you as we continue developing it and the resources around it.

Thank you. Thank you for reading. For believing in me. For being with me on this journey. For letting me lean on you to rest for a while, and for leaning on me and trusting me.

For the last six months (or three years, depending on who you ask), I’ve been working on my third book. At first, it was going to be about riding my bike across the country and learning lessons in community along the way. But then some not-so-great life stuff happened and I needed a respite. A year later, I thought it was going to be about how to live in the present moment. That idea didn’t work out so well because I learned along the way I was doing too darn good at running from the present moment.

But then my editor said to not think about it for six months. Don’t talk to him about it for six months. Do nothing about it for six months.

I’m so glad God has put smart people in my life.

During that six months, I was able to take a breath and look back at what was making my heart beat. What was the one message I had to tell? That I’ve lived, am living, and will always live and love?

We landed it. I’ve been working on it since.

Presently, it is very much in the [Crappy] First Draft* situation. But at the end of this month, I get to turn this [C]FD in to Thomas Nelson and in about ten months or so, you’ll be able to buy it.

People have asked me what it’s about…and I wish I had a title for it (for some reason, that part just hasn’t illuminated itself to us) so, in a nut shell (as it sits now, which is both subject and likely to change in the editing process):

It’s about vulnerability in relationships, particularly those with other believers. It’s going beyond the word “community” and talks how to figure out how you relate to others, and themes of vulnerable and committed relationships. It offers characteristics for both when you “need a person” and for when you need to “be the person” as we carry each other through life.

I’d love to hear any feedback you have – questions you have about relationships, good experiences, lessons learned, what you feel you need when it comes to having functioning healthy community in the Body of Christ. Feel free to leave it in the comments below or on Twitter or Facebook!

Thanks for hanging in the interlude with me the past three years!

*[C]FD is my PG13 translation of an Anne Lamott expression.