The Big Bruise

"Wow, what a big bruise" my wife told me Sunday morning as I was getting ready for church. I hadn't seen it, but I certainly felt the pain from the accident that brought it...

We were working at the church the day before, and I had climbed a ladder to get some items out of the attic. We have a storage area there, and my purpose was to get some Christmas decorations down. It was Saturday morning, and a gentleman in the church had leaned the ladder against the wall. I hurried up, only to find myself in a free fall as I got at the opening to the storage area. The ladder was falling, and I was clinging, with nothing to grab to, so down I came...breaking shelves below which were set up for our coffee shop.

I survived the accident and the fall, but I have a couple of big bruises and an aching back to show for it. One bruise is on my back side, just above my hip. It is black and purple in color, and about the size of a baseball. The other bruise is about an inch long, on my leg. I am grateful to the Lord, I know things could have been much worse.

If you've lived any length of years in life, you've gotten bruised. Bruises usually heal in a matter of days. But it is another type bruise that is on my mind, the inner bruises. Wounded spirits, fragmented relationships. Feelings of being wronged, left out, forgotten. These kind of bruises are more difficult. I find myself, as a pastor of a community of believers, tending bruised feelings from time to time. Sometimes it is between a husband and a wife, other times it is relationships in the church. And whether the feelings are justified, or just imagined, they are nonetheless real to the one who is hurt.

Both natural bruises, and the inner bruises of life, are going to occur. It is how we respond to them that determines our outcome. Some people are always running from their bruises. Running from relationships, jobs, churches, marriages. Yes, you will get hurt. But there are things you are assigned to that you must face, deal with, and work on. If it needs to get better, make sure that you make it so.

When dealing with people, we often deal with those who are bruised in life. A precious person is offended. There have been times when I have tried to get involved, to be a mediator. Upon investigating the matter, I may not feel it is justified or of as serious a nature as the reaction, but it is nonetheless real to the wounded. In those moments I sometimes feel my help has ran its course. And so I have to realize my limitations. How to repair it, I know not. There are some bruises I cannot heal... Only HE can.

I climbed back up the ladder. I got the items out of the storage area. Didn't know I was bruised at the time, but I knew I needed to be up there. That's what I want to encourage you to do. Get back up, go again, stay with it!

I cried that she cried

Walked in on my wife as she sit up on the edge of the bed. She was rubbing her legs down with something, I am not sure what it was. As she did so, she was crying. Out of the medicine she needs to relieve the pain and without the money to get it, she has had to endure and tough it out. Not that the medicine eliminates the pain, but it helps reduce it to being livable.

I don't know if she was crying because of the pain or because of the fact that the medicine she needs is so expensive that she can't get it. Or was she crying because in spite of the fact that the church seems to be growing again, we still haven't gotten over the financial struggles we're in. Living in Rutherford County and pastoring a small church is not easy in these trying times. Ranked 13th in the nation with depression because of the lack of jobs and low paying ones that exist, the county continues to struggle. This is where we are.

I've watched as both sides of the political platform has fought over the health care bill. I have reservations about the government bailouts that have gone on and the increasing budget deficit. But I have been in third world countries that have better health care than we do. Trish and I do not have medical insurance. We simply can't afford it.

And so, sometimes at night, she cries. And when I see it, I do, too.

IN THE TRENCHES TOGETHER

If you live, you know there are battles. Problems and adversities arise. Conflicts and struggles will come your way. It is not a question of IF, but a question of WHEN. Warfare IS coming your way. I know from experience. Those of us in ministry seem to constantly face one battle after another. We experience great victories only to face another battle whose enemy seems larger than the last.

Sometimes you may feel as if you are the only one facing the enemy's advance. Your marriage may be going through a crisis. Your church may be struggling. There may be financial problems, sickness and disease. At times it may be a combination of things.

I have had the Elijah complex before. Have you? Remember Elijah? He felt at one point in his life as if he was the only one standing for truth, the only one God had left. He was facing the battle, and he was isolated. Discouragement set in.

In the trench is where you go to retreat, hide, rest. It indicates a place to go for cover. The battle is raging, and you are still fighting. But you need a hole to hide in, if only temporarily. You may actually continue to fight from the trench. I don't want to be like Elijah. I don't want to be alone in the trenches of life.

I remember one time a number of years ago. I was facing deep discouragement. I had felt betrayed by a certain group of leaders in the church I was pastor of. I talked to a pastor friend of mine. He came to my home immediately to comfort and console me. I felt as if he was ready to take his spiritual weapons out and help me attack those who had attacked me. He got down in the trenches with me and strengthened me. After some wise counsel, we decided not to attack the unwise board. But it was good to know I wasn't in the trenches alone. There next to me was another soldier who understood warfare and pain. He was ready to guard my life to the point of laying his on the line.

I don't believe its by accident that you are reading this blog today. You may be experiencing some great pain at this moment. I want to encourage you. You are not in the trench alone. I am praying for you, and others are. I also want to send a challenge out for others. You are called to rescue those in need. Like the Good Samaritan, there are some wounded ones along life's hiway. They may not attend our church or be in our denomination. They may be of another culture or color. It matters not. Jesus died for them. They need someone to get down in the trench with them.

My life's aim is to get in the trenches. To reach out to the discouraged, hurting, lost, hungry. To be there for them. From one who knows pain, I can't pass by as if I didn't see.

SEE YOU IN THE TRENCHES.

DEALING WITH AN ISSUE?

Luke 8:43 says "And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years..."

The bible does not give us this woman's name, but we do have some history. Her history was one of pain and disappointment. She had suffered with a disease for twelve long years. She had invested all of her income on trying to get better. But nothing and no one was able to help her or provide the relief she needed. We have a saying here in the South that indicates how we feel sometimes when we find ourselves at rock bottom: "broke, busted, and disgusted." I am sure if we could ask the nameless woman how she felt during these years of sickness, she would have expressed something in that vein.

She was dealing with an issue. It was a blood hemorrhage. According to the Levitical law, she was unclean. Add that to her problems. Not only suffering, but religion and society called upon her to be cast as unclean. Restrictions were placed upon her life because of her condition. Her condition affected her position.

This woman was actually dealing with a number of "issues." The pain, sickness, and disease were one. The financial strain was another. The unclean issue was another. I am sure discouragement, fear, and worry crept in. And what about isolation? Isolation from family, friends, church, and community were also a real part of her life. Yes, she was dealing, not just with an issue, but with a number of them. But she had one dominant issue that was engine that propelled the others. Get rid of the one, and the others would be lifeless, or at least less effective.

Like the woman in the bible, most of us are dealing with issues. It may be a marriage breakdown, a financial crisis, a sickness or disease. It may be a struggle with drugs or alcohol. Your issue may be lust. You may have an issue of unforgiveness. You probably have one dominant issue that is your greatest weakness. Yes, I have an issue, and I have issues. No, I am not telling you mine. I am just stating that we all have them.

The good news is that there is ONE who is able to give us the victory over the issue. His name is Jesus. The sick woman heard of Him, and pressed through the crowd. She touched the hem of his garment, and was instantly made whole. Healed, delivered, free-- from every issue.

Some healings are instantaneous, and some are a process. This one thing I know. I just want to lay every issue in my life before Christ, who can do what none other can.

I encourage you today to lay your issue before Jesus!