Archives for August 2008

Don’t you just hate it when one thing after another breaks down? No sooner than we got our lawnmower situation solved last week, another problem presented itself. Our big tv went on the blink. Luckily, we have another one we can use while the 36 inch one’s being fixed, but now we’re stuck trying to watch a 13 inch tv. Good grief, we’ve almost needed a magnifying glass to see the last few days of the Olympics :)

I know, we’re spoiled. But we can’t even use our dvd player or Tivo. The old standby tv is just too old — doesn’t have the hook-ups. I guess I should be thankful the cable can still be used, even though we’re not getting nearly all of our channels for some reason. We’ll just grit it out until our good tv is fixed. This time, one thing on the blink has affected other things, though, and I’m probably missing the Tivo more than anything. I got spoiled on that in no time flat.

If something had to quit working, I’m glad it wasn’t anything more serious than a tv. The worst is when our bodies go on the blink. That’s another time when one thing going wrong can certainly affect other things. When Paul compared the church body to our physical bodies, he pointed out that “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it…” (1 Corinthians 12:26). When we experience pain, not only do we hurt, but we deal with exhaustion, we have difficulty thinking clearly, and many times we have to cope with other limitations as well.

It can be scary when our bodies malfunction. We can be left feeling vulnerable — fearful of what the future holds. I know. While I was only in my 30s, I dealt with the onset of a couple of different ongoing health concerns. One was inflammatory arthritis. Thank goodness, it hasn’t developed into classic rheumatoid arthritis, but in the beginning, we weren’t sure.

At first, my flareups were confined to my right thumb and wrist. Extreme pain and inability to use my right hand during those times impacted my life in a number of ways. I’ll never forget, though, the fear that gripped me the first time one of my knees was affected. I knew the devastating toll rheumatoid arthritis could take on a body. I had no control over what was happening, and I was afraid. Would I one day end up in a wheelchair?

As I poured out my concerns to God, He graciously comforted and assured me with the words He spoke to Paul when Paul pleaded with the the Lord to take away his thorn in the flesh. The Lord said to Paul — and to me — “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I knew that no matter what the future held, God would be with me and give me the grace I would need to face any situation. And now, all these years later, I’m so thankful that my fear of being crippled by arthritis has not been realized.

Yes, when our bodies go on the blink, it’s frightening. If it happens to you, let me encourage you to run to the Lord with your fears. He may give you the same answer He gave me and Paul. Or He might speak different words of encouragement to you. Just give Him the chance. Turn to Him. He’ll be there.

p.s. Anyone else faced with an “on the blink” situation? Feel free to share. If it’s something serious, we’ll pray for you. If it’s a nuisance, we’ll empathize :)