arm

After the accident on my bicycle my arm was hurting. Movement was restricted and my hand was swollen. The x-rays showed that no bones were broken, but the x-rays could not reveal the pain that I was feeling. The medication that I was given caused me to be dizzy and I vomited once. The following days revealed to me just how difficult it would be to live with only one arm. I was unable to do the most menial tasks such as remove a lid from a tube of toothpaste or tie my shoe laces tight enough to stay together. Turning a door knob would send sharp pangs throughout my entire arm. It was miserable and I was humbled by my limitations.

The sling on my arm was a constant reminder of those limitations, but it also reminded me of that the Lord takes pity on the weak and needy (Psalm 72:13). After all He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). That is why Paul said “I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Also, David was not the first born heir to the throne and he had the least worldly experience being the youngest of his clan, but God looked at his heart rather than his accomplishments. David’s heart would stand up to a giant and show forth God’s greatness through utter dependence. David’s heart would also be humiliated when confronted by the prophet Nathan and rely upon the strength that God provides to bring restoration (Psalm 51:10-12). This is the kind of heart that God desires for “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart [He] will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

My arm is doing much better this week and I’m sure that I will soon forget about the pain that once plagued me, but I hope that I continue to be dependent upon God as though I can’t do anything without him.