The Holy Spirit nudged me; a hundred thoughts flooded my mind. I knew I would “take the hit” for my children; hasn’t every mom told her sick or injured child, “If I could take the pain for you, I would”? And I knew I wanted to say yes to Wendy’s question ... but I also knew I couldn’t.
In fact, I had been going through some painful feelings about then ... those “I’m-inept-and-a-failure” kind of feelings the enemy trips me up with from time to time. I realized that not only had I been flailing against the pain of rejection, I had not even considered what the Lord might be doing in the lives of the people I felt wounded by, much less whether my wounds were to be a part of their healing.
I’m glad the Lord caught my attention that day! He gave me a new perspective on my pain — a perspective that is more Christ-focused and less me-focused.
Isaiah 53 tells us that Jesus was wounded so that we could be healed. So if I long to be like Him —
Am I willing to absorb the hurt when my friend takes her heartache out on me?
Am I willing to answer with tenderness when my husband comes home in a bad mood after a hard day?
Can I remain silent and pray rather than defend myself when I’m being blasted by someone in pain?
The question is, am I willing to be like Christ by allowing myself to be wounded for someone else’s sake? I want to say, “Yes!” Now, Lord, help me to stretch my arms out wide the next time the opportunity comes.
Anne Cody
