For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the story, there is a passage in the Bible regarding Paul, one of Jesus top twelve and the writer of most of the New Testament, and it tells us that Paul was given a "thorn in his flesh" for which he sought deliverence three times. For an interesting and thought provoking read or refresher, check it out in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. We are not told what this "messenger of Satan" was that was sent to humble Paul "lest he should be exalted above measure" because of all the revelations he had received from heaven. We are told, however, that when he begged God to take the thorn, God's answer was startling, yet clear, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Surprisingly, Paul took this news very well...
I've come to the conclusion that Paul was not alone in having received the gift of a thorn in his flesh. Now, we don't know what the thorn actually was and, although Bible scholars have gone to great lengths discussing what it might have been, I believe there is a reason for this. It's because it could have been any number of things and we are left to fill in the blank with whatever our "thorn" may be. What is significant to catch is the purpose behind it. In this scenario, if we open our spiritual eyes, we can see that being willing to accept our thorn, in weakness or humility, meaning that our total dependence is upon him, creates the perfect opportunity for God to shine!
I lose things. Not occasionally, but repeatedly. I lose my cell phone, my purse, my jacket... I try not to. I really do. My mind just always seems to be focused elsewhere when it's time to gather up these items. Fortunately, my friends, my mom, anyone with whom I spend a significant amount of time, finds themselves taking up the role of caretaker in this area, sad to say, and are like my guardian angels, always going behind me..."Phone? Purse? Jacket? Scarf?" :-/
Two weeks ago, I was at the Toyota Center, here in Houston, for the Get Motivated Seminar. I left my make-up bag on the aisle where we were seated - my purse was heavy and I took it out to lighten the load while I went to the girl's room. You guessed it; I never put it back. Now, we are talking 19,000 seats...kiss that baby goodbye, right? Well let me tell you, someone turned it in and after several phone calls, playing phone tag, a trip over there and an hour wait, I had it back! :-D My friends have marvelled at how I always seem to have my things found by the right people. I've had calls from my cell phone that went something like this, "Um, we found this phone on the ground outside of Cheddar's, in a booth at, in the bathroom stall at...." You get the picture! What's that saying..."God takes care of fools, little children and...Cherrie's???" lol! I call it grace, but, Hey! I'm not pushing it-I'm just grateful!
I also have a poor sense of direction and, when everyone else seems to know just what to do, I will miss it somehow. Let me give an example. Never fear...I always have a recent one!
Yesterday, I was running in the 5K with Habitiat for Humanity for the Women's Build. Piece of cake, right? I got there in plenty of time, got my pink t-shirt, got in line and off I went, all ready for pomp and glory, near the front with the runners! They had watering stations every so often and to tell us where to turn and it was all going great until...about 1/4 mile before the finish line, I was feeling so-so and I was hanging in pretty well (not bad since I'm on a raw food diet right now shedding my winter coat of a few extra pounds and don't have a lot of extra fuel to spare) when I found myself with a different pack - and this one was walking...no, stroooolling would be more accurate, I missed the last turn-off and ended up doing the course almost twice and coming in near the middle/end instead of at the front! :-0
I was walking along thinking to myself, "Why do you DO things like this, Cherrie? Where was your head?" and then I began to pray and I felt like my answer came in the form of having this thorn in my flesh. I've struggled with this all of my 45 years and, needless to say, it has been a humbling experience on numerous occasions and requires me, not only to depend on God, but on my wonderful freinds and family (poor souls!) I've prayed about it many times, to no avail. Sometimes I'm better than others..but it's always there. I know this much. It keeps me humble and, perhaps, without it, I would have an over-inflated opinion of myself. God knows best.
This doesn't take away from the fact that I need to make every effort to slow down, "BE PRESENT" lol - and pay better attention to the task at hand. It simply reminds me that we all have strengths and weaknesses. In our weakness, let's seek that place of humility and allow God's strength to shine in our lives.
What is the thorn in your flesh? Are you blessed to have more than one, like me? :-) Is it something far more debilitating such as a physical limitation or an unsightly scar or birthmark that has caused you to be taunted through life? Do you struggle with a weakness in just talking to people without feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable? Or is it carrying a terrible secret of something that hurt you or someone you hurt, long ago, that weighs your soul down, with a heavy burden, that you aren't meant to bear? I know there are some very serious scars that leave us vulnerable and weak in ways we have no idea how to manage. Will you take the step that leads you away from humiliation by humbling yourself and being transparent before God? Allow him to carry the burden of be your strength. He can, you know. Will you let it make you softer, kinder in the face of other's weaknesses and and to showcase God's strength in your life? I'm praying for you right now.
Still climbing...and losing things....and getting lost....and not getting it...and being loved by God, anyway ;-)
Cher
