"It sticks out like a sore thumb!" So goes the old saying to which I had never given much thought until very recently. I mean, why a sore thumb and why would it stick out?
On the way to our vacation destination in South Carolina we spent two nights at the home of our friends in Charlotte. They are just like family to us and it's very much, "mi casa, su casa".
Saturday morning and I'm in the kitchen looking for a sharp knife to slice this large Panera Bread bagel. I found the sharp knife and sliced the bagel.......and a good portion of my left thumb. OUCH!
I'll spare you the gory details of stemming the flow and not going to the Emergency Room as our friends suggested, but for several days it was definitely "thumb(s) up" for me and the thumb did indeed stick out. That's when I found out how important is the thumb. Try doing simple things like buttoning a shirt or tying a shoelace without using your thumb.
I hope you are still with me because I feel there is a message here. Since we are the body of Christ what happens if one of us cannot be used? For one reason or another there are times when we feel spiritually useless in our prayer life and we may be tempted to stop praying but then we are reminded to "pray without ceasing". (1 Thess. 5:17 KJV)
At times we may be discouraged in our Christian witness to others but then there is the charge to "run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1 KJV)
Each and every one of us has a charge to uphold, a part to play, so "let us not be weary in well doing" (Gal. 6:9 KJV). Just like my little sore thumb the part each of us plays in the Christian life will be missed if we don't continue by God's grace to do whatever He has chosen for us to do.
Thanks to Jeff Taylor for the following:
Dear God, by the Power of Your Holy Spirit, create us anew.
Give us the breath to sing your praises and the faith to soar with you.
Give us power to discern what you call us to be and to do.
Come Holy Spirit, come!
Amen
Jean Dean
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1 comment:
Dear Jean,
Elicia Bias forwarded your devotional message to me. I enjoyed reading it, and would like to incorporate part of it into my talk at my church tomorrow. Our pastor is at annual conference, and he asked me to fill in for him. God has put several themes in my head for the talk, and it is finally all coming together.
On a personal note, my daughter went to elementary school with your grandson, John. Your daughter went to college with a girl from my hometown of Ansted. I hope they are both well and happy.
When I first became involved in the Kairos ministry, I discovered that my best friend from my old church in Huntington(Beverly Hills UMC), and a former student of mine from Hamlin were also on the team. The closeness I felt with the team from the very beginning revealed to me how small the world really is, and how connected the children of God really are. We all have an important part to play in the church, and I pray that everyone is open to his/her particular calling.
May God bless you and your church in our common goal to save all of God's children.
Love and prayers,
Paula Napier
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