Finding Magnificence
in the Simple Things
by Larry Jones
You can learn a lot from a tick. Three years ago I was diagnosed with Lyme
disease; a bacterial infection passed along by deer ticks. I failed to detect the bulls-eye rash from
the bite, but I knew something was wrong when it became a struggle to climb
stairs and get in and out of my car.
After my diagnosis I searched the Internet for more
information and learned some victims of Lyme suffer serious long-term neurological
and even psychological damage. I read about
a preacher who was arrested by the police for drunk driving and fired by his
church, only to discover later he was suffering from Lyme, not intoxication.
My lowest moment came in a shopping mall when I dropped some
money and wasn’t able to bend my knees and pick it up. As I shuffled toward an exit resentment
welled up inside of me when I saw an elderly man reach down to pick up some
trash. I imagined he was showing off on
purpose to torment me in my pain.
The good news is I survived.
Months of antibiotics and the passing of time brought me to a complete
recovery, although my family claims the jury is still out on psychological impairment.
But even though the disease is history, its memory is not. That dangerous tick that almost cost me my
health also changed my life. How, you
may ask?
With one infectious bite, he put me in a place where I was
allowed to suffer for my own good. As my
movements grew slower and the scope of my life smaller, I was forced to pay
attention to some of God’s magnificently simple blessings. Since Thanksgiving Day is upon us, it seems timely
to highlight a few. What did that pesky
insect teach me?
He taught me to be
thankful for free blessings in life.
As my disease progressed, the pain in my joints forced me to adapt. To climb in my car I clung to the door and
roof while slowly lowering myself into the driver’s seat. Then I gingerly lifted my legs into the car,
one at a time. I still remember the day
my pain subsided enough for me to lift my legs by themselves, and now, when I
slide effortlessly into my car seat I sometimes stop to thank God.
It is easy to overlook the free things in life. I have noticed small children are much better
than adults at keeping these blessings in perspective. Children pray for the birds, and the sky, and
the neighbor’s cat Binky. Adults pray
for houses and cars and promotions at work.
Granted it is best to have a roof over our heads, but is a car or a
better job ultimately more vital to our survival than a bird or the sky? I guess it depends on whether we mind living
in a world overrun with rodents and insects, or one without an atmosphere. As far as Binky, I will let you make that
determination.
Life’s free gifts become more important when we lose
them. Perhaps this is why people facing
trials are sometimes the most thankful of all.
They have learned to appreciate everything because they have had to let
go of so much.
He taught me to be
thankful for the people around me. I
rarely get sick, so my illness put me in a place I wasn’t prepared to
handle. There were times I was worried
about the future, and moments when my frustrations overwhelmed me. In the beginning I wasn’t sure what was
wrong, or if it could be cured. And as I
struggled, my wife, children, church family and neighbors sustained me.
Something happens to us when we are forced to depend on
others. It is no longer possible to live
with our illusions of self-sufficiency or our delusions of
indispensability. A good dose of
humility opens our hearts and causes us to see God’s grace poured out in the
lives of His servants. And the more we
acknowledge our need for others, the greater our sense of responsibility to
others in need.
It is easy to take people for granted when we think we
don’t need them. But when we are driven
to our knees and find ourselves unable to tie our own shoes, we learn to put
our pride aside and embrace the strength of community.
He gave me a greater
appreciation for those who suffer. Please
don’t misunderstand. In the whole scheme
of life, a temporary disease like Lyme disease, when discovered early, is a
manageable crisis. But as I suffered,
and stinging pains shot through my joints with every movement, I experienced a
taste of what it must be like for those with lifelong debilitating diseases.
I thought of a two women in the church I serve. One has rheumatoid arthritis, but in spite of
her pain she leads our volunteer office receptionist’s ministry and personally
serves one day a week. The other has
multiple sclerosis and she regularly participates in community outreach
projects. I thought of my friend who directs
our recovery ministry who takes medication for dementia that is slowly stealing
away his mind. These and many others
don’t let their suffering keep them from serving the Lord, and in fact,
sometimes they use the lessons they have learned in the midst of their pain to
minister to others.
I will never look at people who find a way to serve God in
their suffering the same way again. They
have found strength this world can’t offer, and have a testimony that draws
others to the throne of grace.
He reminded me how
blessed I am to have access to good medical care. The talented doctor who diagnosed me and
cured me saved me from years of misery. One
prescription and a bottle of antibiotics later I was on the road to
recovery.
Not all diseases are so easily cured, but modern medicine
has found an answer for some of the deadliest illnesses in the world. Medical missionaries in impoverished
countries watch people die of diseases that could have been cured if treated in
time, and their hearts break for them.
Millions of people across the globe have no access to modern
medicine. In America we have so many pills we
have a name for the cabinet where we store them all. How can we not be thankful for our
circumstances and compelled to help others with theirs?
He taught me to be
thankful for a God who is present in my pain.
Throughout my ministry people with horrific diseases have described
a portion of God’s grace that came to them in a time of need. Let me be clear: Lyme disease, when caught,
is nothing compared to the life-altering and sometimes terminal illnesses
others face.
Yet, for a season, I felt debilitating pain. I was afraid.
And on those mornings when I practically crawled to my office desk and
tears ran down my face, I found some of that grace others had experienced. It didn’t take away my physical pain, but it
reminded me in no uncertain terms I had not been abandoned. It also made me more receptive to God’s
leading and the silent prompting of His Spirit within me.
This week we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, in its various
forms and traditions. And although our celebration
is technically a national observance, as believers we view it as a spiritual opportunity
to reflect on God’s goodness. With the
Psalmist we say, “It is good to praise
the Lord.” (Psalm 92:1)
It is good to praise God for the big things and the small
things. We thank Him for caring for us
in the past, and ask Him to watch over us in the future. And in this special season we look deeper to
find those blessings that are the simplest of all and so easy to take for
granted.
Recently I was thinking about the prayers my grandfather
used to offer as we gathered for our Thanksgiving feast. His thanked God for family, food, His
watchful eye, and another year of life. He
didn’t pray for the birds and the sky, or the neighbor’s cat Binky. But his prayers were childlike and simple.
I am not suggesting there is anything wrong with thanking
God for less simple things. In fact, if
He has helped us through some incredibly complex issues in our lives, we should
certainly praise Him for it. It’s just
that sometimes, we find our complexities are self-imposed when we worry about the
wrong things and neglect what’s most important.
Jesus
said, "Therefore
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or
drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than
food, and the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in
barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much
more valuable than they?”
(Matthew 6:25-26)
God continues to humble me and strip away what doesn’t matter
so I can see what does. And sometimes He
corrects my perspective with the strangest instruction. Sometimes He even uses ticks.
Bio: Larry Jones is the pastor of Northside Christian Church in Yorktown, Virginia. He also writes inspirational children's fiction. His essays have been published in various Christian periodicals, including this one, which is from Lookout magazine http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=1055
THANKS, Larry! And thank you to Brandilyn Collins, our guest this week, and to Marian Baay, who was her hostess and reviewer. Diana, Teresa, and I are also happy to announce that Marian has joined us as a regular reviewer and team member of OTT-WGH. Welcome, Marian!!!
GIVEAWAY: Check here on Sunday afternoon (after I get through listening to one of Larry's awesome sermon!) and find out who this week's winner is!
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