If one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it.
1 Corinthians 12:26
I’m quite sure most of you spent a good amount of time in the recent weeks following the saga of those two back-to-back hurricanes, Helene and Milton. Natural disasters aren’t new —we've always experienced wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes and people have always been affected by these disasters.
But what I’m pondering this week is the effect that other people’s suffering has on me (and you). The flooded communities in North Carolina are a good example. I see photos or watch videos and feel a strange tug in my heart that asks, why them and why not me? Why am I safe and happy and warm and dry and grocery shopping and going to a ball game and sleeping in my comfortable bed tonight? The untouched normalcy of my life produces a sort of mis-placed sense of guilt — yet, I have nothing to be guilty about, so it must be grief.
I’m sure you have also been distraught by the losses we’ve recently heard about. Or maybe your heart hurts for people closer to home who are suffering in all sorts of seen and unseen ways. It doesn’t have to be a huge natural disaster for people to suffer — couples struggle in their marriage, parents suffer when their children go rogue, families have financial crises, friends suffer from health problems.
God designed us to live in community and to carry each other's burdens, so it does come naturally for us to empathize with the suffering of others. The Apostle Paul described Christians, as being knit together in love (Col. 2:2). Our theme verse (above) reminds us if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it (1 Cor. 12:26).
But here is the balance — we also live in a world of rejoicing! Babies are being born, couples are getting married, contracts are being signed, preschoolers are learning to do chores! For all of the suffering around us there is an equal portion of rejoicing and Romans 12:15 charges us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.
Are you up for the task of doing both at the same time — extending sympathy and handing out attaboys in the same hour? The truth is that other people will sometimes suffer when our life is smooth and we will sometimes suffer when their lives are smooth. So, let’s do whatever we can to weep with those who weep (even if it’s as impersonal as sending relief funds to flood victims), and let’s rejoice with those who aren’t currently suffering — they need our support as well. Mark my words, we will all take our turn at both suffering and rejoicing throughout our lifetime, so let’s do it together!
As for me, I really have been on the receiving end of so much love. So many have stopped for a moment to enter my world and send a card, give a hug, offer a word of encouragement, and to pray. I feel that I’ve been in a classroom with hundreds of instructors who have taught me well the concept of carrying one another’s burdens.
Treatment-wise I have nothing new to report. I’m just waiting on a final all clear from my surgeon before we move forward with our final phase of treatment. Paul and I have been at the Bar M Ranch for a few days as he has been fellowshipping with other Calvary Chapel Pastors and teaching a few sessions. We take our trailer and I’m thankful they graciously let me camp out during their retreat. We won’t be back for church this evening, but I’ll see you ladies on Friday for our final chapters of Esther, and of course then on Sunday.
My Love & Blessings,
Sue
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