I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever. -- John 14:16

Thirteen year old Natalie Gilbert had been looking forward to this moment for quite some time. She had been asked to sing The Star-Spangled Banner before the start of a basketball playoff game of the Portland Trailblazers. The much-anticipated moment arrived last Friday evening, April 25th, when Natalie appeared at center court before 21,500 fans and a national television audience. She had already sung the national anthem on numerous occasions - in the shower, in front of the mirror, before smaller audiences. But never before had she sung in such a large venue. This was big time. This was a stage that stretched from coast to coast. And Natalie was more than a little nervous. Natalie started out well. But somewhere around "the twilight's last gleaming" she forgot the rest of the words to the song. Humiliated, she put her head down and covered her eyes with her hands. On the verge of tears, she desperately looked around for her dad in hopes of help. Just then, Maurice Cheeks, the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers walked up to her, put his arm around her and said let's sing this together. With one arm the coach comforted the distressed young girl. With the other arm he played the part of a conductor and motioned for the fans to join in the song. In this simple gesture, a coach who could not carry a tune was able to carry a teenager. At that moment, Natalie gained new confidence, a crowd became a choir and the song played on. Surely, that was the best move made on the court that night. The coach told a devastated young girl, "I am with you. These people are with you. We're going to make it together. It'll be OK."

What a fitting picture of God's own Spirit. Jesus told his disciples that upon his departure he would ask the Father to send a Helper who would be with us forever. The word helper is the Greek parakletos, from which we also get the legal word paraclete. It means, "one who comes alongside to help", to offer us aid in a time of need. Can you identify with the experience of that young girl? Are you humiliated and crushed and in need of someone's encouragement? Have you ever found yourself forgetting the lines to life and confused about what to do next? Are you at a time and place when the familiar has suddenly become frightfully strange? There is an arm ready to reach out to you, an arm which is strong, a hand that is mighty (Psalm 89:13). God will surround you with the great crowd of witnesses who have gone before (Hebrews 12:1-2). He will encourage you through the assuring words of a friend. He will speak a strong Word to your troubled heart (Psalm 119:92). As Julian of Norwich once said, "All will be well. And all things will be well. And all manner of things will be well." It really is going to be OK. His love will outlast your shame. His presence will keep your song alive.

Oh, by the way, they invited little Miss Gilbert to come again next year and sing the national anthem at halfcourt.

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