Hurts All Over

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 26-27; Galatians 6:2

“I don’t see why I have to go to the hospital to see Anne,” said Fay. “Even though she’s in my class at church, we aren’t really close friends, and I have other stuff I want to do.”

“There must be lots of things Anne would like to do too,” said Mom, “but she can’t do them today either. We told her we’d come to visit her in the hospital, and this is the only day this week we can do that.”

“Fine,” Fay said, but she wasn’t happy. She was still pouting when they left a little later. “I still think this is a big waste of time,” she muttered.

Mom was silent as she eased the car out of the driveway. After a few blocks, she turned to Fay. “Do you remember why you got mad at Elliot last month when you were sick?”

“I sure do!” said Fay. “He wanted me to play ball with him so he could practice batting while I was suffering with that awful ear infection. Brothers can be so insensitive!”

“What did he say that made you so upset?” asked Mom.

Fay frowned. “He said I wouldn’t be playing ball with my ear, only my hands and legs, so I should forget about my ear infection. What a dumb idea!”

“Well, why couldn’t you do that?” Mom asked.

Fay stared at her mother in disbelief. “Mom! Not you too! When my ear was hurting so bad, I felt bad all over because my ear is part of my body. That’s how you explained it to Elliot, don’t you remember?”

Mom smiled. “Oh, I remember all right. I just wondered if you did. I thought you had probably forgotten.”

“Why did you think that?” asked Fay.

“Because you don’t see why we should visit Anne. She’s part of the body of Christ, just like all Christians are—including us. When she hurts, we should hurt too. When you had that ear infection, you would have done whatever you could to make it feel better. When someone who is part of the body of Christ hurts, we should do what we can to help that person feel better too.”

Fay was quiet a moment. “Okay,” she finally said. “Let’s go brighten her day!” – Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?

Do you do what you can to help others who are having a hard time? Are you concerned when a Christian friend or neighbor is lonely, sad, or in pain? When other Christians suffer, we should suffer too—we’re all part of the same body. That’s why it’s important to pray for those who are suffering and share their burden. How can you ease someone’s burden today?

Today’s Key Verse: Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Care and share burdens