Reaching

I never cease to be touched by the way The Lord uses various moments to teach lessons. It reminds me of when I was homeschooling and would try not to miss a teachable opportunity. The child may be frustrated, or maybe just blasé, and the parent drops a profound truth on them. I had a moment like this with the Holy Spirit as I busied myself in the kitchen one day.

For a little backstory, last summer I was involved in an accident that left a large gash in my forearm. A portion of my flesh about three and a half inches long, an inch wide and half an inch deep was torn away and barely holding on. The surgeons got it cleaned up and reattached, but it would be a long road to recovery. For six weeks, I could barely use my right arm. For three months, my grip was weak and I could not feel sensations on the patch of skin that had been damaged. Even after six months the scar was still bright pink and the tissue reacted to movement. Now, after 8 months, the nerves of that skin can feel the sensation of touch, some of the scar is shifting to white, and much of my function has been restored; save one.

On this day, that I was moving about my kitchen preparing food, I needed a mixing bowl that I keep on a high shelf and attempted to retrieve said bowl. The motion of reaching up to bring something down is still too much for my arm to bear. Grabbing something from below to lift up is fine, but from above is a no go. That was when The Lord hit me with a profound truth.

It takes so much more effort to try to pull someone down to your level than it does to help lift someone who needs a hand up. Even in Christian circles, we can become jealous of other people’s gifts that have made them exalted and want to “bring them down a peg.” However, that isn’t good for anyone. In the Kingdom of God we are to consider others as more deserving than ourselves.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interest, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude as Christ Jesus. Philippians 2: 3-5

March has been designated as National Women’s History Month, and to know what others had to go through so that women could find common footing in society illustrates this lesson well. For example, I read the story of the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. When it was discovered that she was a female running the race, the organizer tried to rip off her bib number and pull her from the route. Other runners stepped in to defend her, and she ended up finishing with an impressive time. Now, because she did, other women can.

When someone (male or female) is strong enough to blaze a trail, it makes it easier for others to follow. Pushing yourself to rise is hard work all its own without having others trying to pull you down. Yet, it is wise to remember that when you do make progress towards the summit you’re chasing, it is good to encourage others coming behind you. You might get to your goal faster on your own, but the view at the top is better shared than going it alone. Humbly help others to rise into their kingdom calling. It is not a slight to you if others are able to go further. This life is a journey and not a competition.

But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. Mark 10:31