Reality Check Bio – Lorraine Walker

Born and raised in southern Ontario, Canada, Lorraine Walker has been interested and involved in Southern Gospel Music since the mid-80's. As part of a ladies' trio, she became more familiar with this style of music and the people that made it popular, and began writing occasional articles for a Canadian publication on Southern Gospel.

Known online to her internet friends as "CanChik", Lorraine began writing a monthly inspirational article entitled "CanChik's Corner" for www.johnlanier.com in 2002.  This column began on www.sgmradio.com in January of 2005, a popular southern gospel music radio and information website which also publishes other features and interviews with her byline.

”Reality Check” is a monthly column relating the realities of living every day as child of God. Lorraine welcomes your comments and suggestions, and you can write her at sgmradio.lorrainewalker@gmail.com

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My country hosted the Olympics this year and I loved to watch the Canadians in the crowd cheering on the competitors. You could see the athletes’ determination and drive visibly increase in direct relation to the increase in volume from the spectators. We were cheering just as loudly for the gold medallists as the people in Vancouver and I’m sure they could hear us thousands of miles away!

As humans we are geared to respond to the encouragement and support of those around us. How often we forget to give that positive word to a coworker because we are too involved with our own stress. How little it takes to bring a smile to someone’s face and lift to their day.

While going through an extremely stressful time recently, I was blessed to have encouragement from a couple of close friends. It wasn’t really what they said or what they did, but just the fact that they were there and understood that I needed support. It reminded me of Moses in Exodus when he was holding his arms out over a battle. As long as his arms were out, the Israelites were winning. But when he tired and his arms fell, they began to lose. His friends came to him and held his arms out for him until the battle was won.

I often wonder how many people around me are going through a battle that is taxing their strength and I don’t even realize it. There are so many that need support, so many who need me to help them, to just hold their arms for awhile. But there is an even greater Support that we can turn to for encouragement.

Our pastor spoke about Jonah a short time ago and honestly, I felt a little sorry for the dense prophet. He is so much like me. He didn’t want to go preach to the enemy city of Nineveh because he knew that they would repent and in the Lord’s mercy He would forgive them. Jonah wanted them to get what they deserved and would have much preferred to watch their destruction. When that didn’t happen, he sat under a shelter and moped while he watched the redemption of the City. Then he began to feel sorry for himself and battled his own war with depression.

We would think that a prophet with such a direct line to God would look to God instead of messing around in his own mind. I think God was waiting for him to realize that He was the One who was in control of life and death but more importantly, that the smallest need did not escape His notice. God wanted Jonah in his loneliness to look to Him as his ultimate source of encouragement and comfort.

I confess I often look sooner to my close friends and family for support than I do to God. I am quick to offer a quick prayer like ‘help me I have no clue’, and then text or email my cry for help. In the dark of the night when the world is closing in and I need someone to share my burden, I often look for someone to really talk with. Often I lean on my earthly support system before my Heavenly Father. After everything I have seen God do, you would think that I would be a little less dense than Jonah.

God in His love has provided us with what we need to run this earthly race with determination and drive. He brings people into our lives to encourage and cheer us on when we begin to tire. But we must never forget that He longs to be our first line of support, our shelter during the rough times and our best Friend.