People regularly visit my pasture and whether they be riders, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, or just people looking and talking, they all tend to prop, or climb on the gates. I understand this because my gates are ideally suited to place a foot on the bottom rail and lean with one, or both, arms on the top rail. Children seem to find the rails ideal for climbing. However, what they don’t seem to realize, or remember, is that these gates are somewhat flimsy and only supported on one end. Repeated leaning and climbing on such gates requires continual repair and/or replacement.These gates seem much more substantial than the gates of my childhood and youth which usually were of two types. The first was constructed of four strands of barbed wire, attached to a pole at both ends with another pole in the middle to keep the wires from becoming tangled. One of the poles was attached permanently to a gate post while the pole on the other end was placed in a loop of wire attached to the bottom of the opposite gate post and the top of the pole had a wire loop which was slipped over it to secure the gate in position. These gates were not conducive to leaning, or climbing, on because of the prickly nature of barbed wire.
A second type of gate prominent in those days was actually a series of poles inserted horizontally in notches on both gate posts which were slid out, one at a time, in order to open the gate. This gate seemed more sturdy than it actually was and numerous poles were broken as people climbed, or leaned, on them. I remember an occasion when I was riding the top rail like a horse when it broke and deposited me on the second rail which in turn also broke. They definitely were not intended for play.
Even though my modern gate seems more substantial that those earlier gates, it is not intended to support one’s weight. I’m afraid that many people today are leaning on things which appear substantial, but of themselves are no more stable than my swinging gates. Education, money, position, pleasure, and health are all worthy pursuits, but they alone, or combined, cannot support
you unless their pursuit is guided by your total commitment to Christ and His purpose for your life. The old hymn, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” reminds us that our primary source of support and help is found when we are leaning on Jesus, safe and secure from all alarms.
Don’t be surprised when the swinging gate you are leaning on comes crashing to the ground. Put your trust in Jesus, He cannot fail, He must prevail.
