Well, hello there!
How many of you are crawling here on exhausted knees this week? Anybody else experiencing the emotional highs and lows that accompany the first week back to school? Or maybe you’re still trying to recover from re-entry into reality after a relaxing, long Labor Day weekend?
Whatever the case may be, I hope you feel welcome here. Make yourself a cuppa tea, kick up your feet, and stay a while.
If you’re new here, we meet every week at this time for Five Minute Friday, a delightful online community that gathers around a single word for a fun, carefree writing exercise. And yet it’s far more than that — we’ve become a group that truly loves and cares for one another, and seeks to encourage and build up.
There’s always room for more! I hope you join us! More info here.
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This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is:
GO.
My 14-year-old fractured his tibia last week. Besides when I broke my big toe two summers ago, this is the first broken bone in the family.
As we’re navigating through this uncharted territory, I’ve been struck by the way one person’s injury affects many. I’ve felt the ripple effects and consequences, the squirming and wriggling as we all try to figure out how to function in this new, though temporary, normal.
And it occurred to me that in many ways, an injury to one is an injury to all.
We call ourselves the body of Christ. We say we are one.
When one part of the body hurts, we all hurt.
But do we really?
Do we really pause to take notice of another member’s pain? Are we willing to readjust in order to compensate for their weakness?
Do we show compassion, or do we brusquely brush off the pain and give them a “buck up or back off” look?
The most striking aspect of this experience is that my son hasn’t complained once. Yes, he has expressed his pain and asked for painkillers, but he hasn’t done so with a complaining spirit.
He has exuded patience.
And this patience points me to the truth that yes, God is going to heal. It may take time — five weeks, six weeks, maybe more — but He will make the broken things whole.
And so I hold onto this hope for all of us — that God is healing His land, His people, His body. He is, and He will, and He already has, when He restored the broken body of His son back to wholeness.
Back to life.
STOP.
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Oh, boy! I’m so sorry! May God grant all of you patience as you mend and heal together–because you’re right, an injury to one is an injury to all!
Kate, I love your way of taking this experience and relating it to the entire body of Christ! I’m so sorry for his broken bone. Praying that he will heal in a very strong way that will keep him from re-injury. I would guess from his age that this is a sports-related injury, but regardless, I admire his patience which you have pointed out.
That gives testimony to his parents. He has watched your journey of pain and healing and has grown in that knowledge.
Blessed are you.
Love,
Tammy
(#7 tonight)
One of my sons has broken his collar bone twice. The last time was when he had a birthday sleep over for when he turned 15/16. He and his friends were having a “body-tossing” competition. He was winning until his collar bone was broken. I remember looking at this bunch of boys who are the best bunch of boys ever, laughing and saying, “Really, Guys? Do I have to say out loud this is a rule? No Body Tossing.” Hold on with you to this belief that God heals – your sons body, this land, and the broken-hearted! Praying he sleeps comfortably with solid rest!
Kate, we are praying for him. It is such a blessing that he is showing such maturity at that age. Love how you weaved this with truth that really spoke to my heart tonight. I pray all of the Body can have that soft, pliable heart that God loves and can work with -one that feels compassion easily. Blessings!
I love the way the word prompt is birthed each week. And, as you announce it makes me anxious to read your post to see how it all relates. But, I never read a word until my five minute offering is banged out on the keyboard. I do go to bed and asleep 98% of the time knowing the word but I never know where Holy Spirit is going to take me with it until I sit down and set the timer. I love the way He guides my fingertips, causes me to recall scriptures and life experiences to share with my readers. I pray I am a ready writer…with healing words. xo Love you and yours, Kate.
It is amazing for me to watch how a random word prompt intersects with my life and what I am reading each week. I love coming here each Friday. Such truth right here > “… an injury to one is an injury to all.” May God help me not to be the source of injury to one or all. Blessings!
Oh Kate! I’m so sorry for your son. Thanks for the image of what it means to be the family of God together. This is the perfect picture for me of what it means to bear one another’s burdens. These are the things we can’t do alone.
A quick poem on the topic of healing…
In the depth of something ugly
Brain, heart and soul refuse to communicate.
A standoff so to speak.
Fed with more and more information
The whys and wherefores
Hormones, personality tendencies and faith.
The brain nods with relief
Exhaling, “yes, yes that is truth, a balm for the soul, healing for the heart.”
Yet it doesn’t get to the intended target
The brain holds all epiphanies with tightly clenched fists.
One false move and panic ensues anger swells a tantrum is pending.
This is not what I signed up for!
The present moment is evasive
Two minutes after meditation
Gone!
With one offhanded comment
The peace of prayer
Evaporates 30 minutes after mass.
On the verge of a nosedive
The precipice of implosion
Who will hold the broken pieces?
Who will alleviate the pain beneath the ingratitude?
Surely not you my partner, my love,
You are taking cover,
You are no match for the criticism.
You are no match for this venom.
And I am so very bitter about that!
Hold me Jesus
Rock me
Soothe me
Heal me
Moment by precious moment
Show me frame by frame our history of grace, that my heart my be unfeignedly grateful once again.
Merge my broken heart and yearning soul with my withholding angry mind.
Unite my disjointed thoughts
Remind me of the solace in your good and perfect plan.
You tell K.B. he is better than most men:) I’m going to spread the non-complaining spirit to my kids and tell them about his awesome strength!
Ha! He really has impressed me. His ability to not complain is certainly one of his strengths!
Great reflections, Kate! It is truly amazing how God uses the experiences in our lives to teach us new things.
Hope everyone in your family heals very soon!
Thank you, Christin! Love seeing your name appear here! Hope you and your family are well!
I will answer you question honestly: No, we don’t stop to consider another’s pain often enough. We don’t think about how a brother or sister’s suffering impacts the entire community. I don’t think this is always a symptom of selfishness; often we’re just trying to do our own surviving. Our own getting through the day. How desperately we need the pause and the compassion.
It’s true, Marie. And yet sometimes I think when we do manage to reflect more on others than ourselves, our own “survival” can seem a little more manageable, yes? As always, grateful for your contribution.
Thank you for selecting this prompt. It forced me out of my comfort zone and gave me space to write things embedded deeply on my heart- for this day and this topic. Prayers for healing in your family. Broken bones are no fun. Loved the lesson you shared. It really made me think.
I so enjoyed your post, Amy. I’m grateful that you were willing to write even when the prompt and resulting words led you out of your comfort zone. It would’ve been easy to turn off the computer, but you persevered. Well done! Thanks for being part of FMF! Hope you have a great week.