Pearls in a Nutshell

 When all is Well, and When it's Not

Isn't that so true?  Spring has come and with it will come the profusion of flowers. In a beautiful flower garden there are the border flowers, the ground cover flowers, the blossoms lifted up on tree branches, the flowers grown for cutting, the big and bold that make a statement, the little ones that are so sweet, the ones that complement each other in colour - every colour, variation and size but together they bloom in gardens the crowds come to see! 

I have been appreciating anew how wonderful it is to have two working hands and how daily life changes when you don't!! I don't have to tell you, I'm sure, that I will be thankful when my cast comes off! in several weeks!!

My thoughts have been going to the passages where we are taught that the church is Christ's body and how every part is important.

I Corinthians 12:26 says " ..if one body part suffers, all the members suffer with it!"

Yes, I am experiencing that..I am protecting my left arm, I wear a protective cast, I am careful not to bump it, I don't ask anything of it, I carry it in a sling so it can rest.

That is true in the body of believers as well. I have experienced such a rallying around me of loving support and sympathy. It is good to be in fellowship , caring for and about each other.

But I want to look at this from another perspective.

Because my left arm is not doing its part, the rest of my body struggles. Simple tasks like washing my hair, getting dressed, opening a jar, cooking a meal, cleaning the house,  have become time consuming and difficult.

Then there are the things I cannot do at all, like typing or sewing or knitting or driving or opening a jar or carrying something heavy or awkward.

Because of the 'lack' caused by a non functioning arm, the rest of my body is inconvenienced at best and at  times completely shut down. (I am thankful for my husband stepping up to do more than he is used to!)

Is this true in the body of Christ?

I think it is. 

Philippians 2:30 reads ,"...because for the work of Christ he came close to death not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in you."

What is Paul talking about here?

The man he is talking about is Epaphroditus, the only time he is mentioned in the New Testament.

Paul is gently rebuking the Philippian church that Epaphroditus had to work so hard filling in what they were not doing. In fact, he made himself sick trying to do more than he should have had to do.

We all have a 'gift' with which we serve others. If all my body parts are doing their part, it is a wonderfully working  body, every part working and supporting every other part. So also if everyone does their part , the church is a wonderful thing to see.
 But rarely do we see everyone doing their part. Many of us feel we either have no gift or it is too small to make a difference.

I broke my toe in high-school playing soccer and I can tell you that even the smallest part not working causes all kinds of trouble!!

How to know what your 'gift' is?  What do you love to do? What is your go-to when you have the time and opportunity? What makes you happy? Look there to know your gift. Maybe you love to cook...use that to bless others who could use a meal, or a cheering-up dessert treat!

Maybe you love to strike up conversations with people you don't know. Use it by visiting lonely people in hospitals or care homes. Maybe it's your hobby  -  photography, outdoor sports or activity, maybe it's gardening or crafting, maybe its spending time in prayer, maybe its caring for children. Think about it...what gives you the most satisfaction , the most joy?  God gave each of us the gift that involves and centers in the things that give us joy, the things we could spend all day doing, if we could.

Know that what you have been given is important for the well being of the body of Christ. Whether it might be considered big or small does not determine its need or importance in the body of Christ! ..YOU are a uniquely gifted, one of a kind ,much needed person in the body of Christ!!

You are loved and treasured!!  Bloom where God planted you and know that without you God's garden would be incomplete, and the body of Christ would suffer a missing part!!