The Pain of Others – Broken Bones (and other physical injuries)

Greetings Dear Reader,

People get hurt.  They trip, stumble, slam, cut, crack, and break.  I have a friend who has a very damaged foot.  She has been posting the activities of said foot over the last few days.  It has been entertaining.

People handle physical pain in many ways.  Some hide it.  Others make it their soul mate.  It is not my place to judge the pain of others.  It is my obligation to have compassion for that pain.  This does not mean that I have to pander to those who make pain their focus in life.  It does mean that I must care.  It does mean that I must help where I can.

It costs me nothing to listen and be kind when others wish to talk about their physical difficulties.  It costs me very little to help carry, open doors, and genuinely care.  It is easy to wish them well and follow up on how they are doing.  It is important that I engage with the pain of others.

This is such an easy place to show genuine compassion.  It merely involves listening and a willingness to help.  It requires that I step outside myself.  It requires that I see how much Christ cares about the smallest splinter or the shattered bone.  When someone trusts me with their physical pain I must not pass that over lightly.  Honesty about pain is risk 

When entrusted with the pain of others I must carry that trust with gentle kindness.  I must assure those that entrust me with it that I will not cause them further pain.  I must use the strength give me by Christ to carry that pain as he would.  He is in the pain.  He is in the need.

Distressing Disguise – Michael Card

He is in the pain, He is in the need

He is in the poor, we are told to feed

Though He was rich, for us He became poor

How could He give so much, what was it for?

In His distressing disguise

He waits for us to surmise

That we rob our brothers by all that we own

And that's not the way He has shown

Every time a faithful servant serves

A brother that's in need

What happens at that moment is a miracle indeed

As they look to one another in an instant it is clear

Only Jesus is visible for they've both disappeared

He is in the hand that reaches out to give

He is in the touch that causes men to live

So speak with your life now as well as your tongue

Shelter the homeless, take care of the young

In His distressing disguise

He hopes that we'll realize

That when we take care of the poorest of them

We've really done it to Him

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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