I've pulled a muscle in my upper left arm.
The simplest movement sends a shooting pain through my entire arm,
and my whole body winces.
The movement of my fingers when typing sends a vibration up to my shoulder that somehow causes the pain to stir, and even as I write about this ache I realize that my right wrist is sharing in my discomfort by throbbing itself.
Even when I'm completely still,
I have a gnawing awareness of the possibility of my arm beginning to hurt again.
I was thinking this morning about how my whole body seems to have joined in with my left arm's injury, and for whatever reason, the church as a body has entered my mind.
When someone is hurting,
how do I respond?
Do I hurt too?
Do I ache when others ache?
Do I find my life affected or do I carry on as if nothing has changed?
I don't ever want my own life goals and plans to get in the way of or keep me from being so closely connected to others that I am incapable of feeling their pain.
I want my nerve endings tapped into the world around me,
so that I am keenly aware of the pain of others.
Today, my body is responding to the needs of my left arm, and it's causing me to realize just how much I need to improve emotionally in response to the needs of others.
I want to walk through life open to sharing in the hurts of those around me even when it means I will hurt too.
Let's all remember we are part of the body of Christ and being part of the body means we cannot ignore pain even when we are not directly affected.
We are called to share life deeply.
When we do, God is able to work in much more powerful and effective ways.
Praying for so many this morning who are hurting and asking God to help me feel their pain in a very real way so that I can be part of what they need in order to find comfort.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who
weep.
Romans 12:15
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for
one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted.
I Peter 3:8
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