From Matt Wiegand…

God used a circumstance to remind me about His body a couple months ago.   Mid November while trying to rush through leaf clean up, I stupidly put my hand in my mower while the blades were on. I was very fortunate. I only broke my left index finger.   I feel blessed the accident did not result in something greater.

Also fortunately, I am right handed. I tell you what though. That broken finger on my recessive hand affected my whole body. For the first couple days, I could not do much at all.

My body, especially my left middle finger, adapted and picked up the slack to help my broken finger.  I type a lot so my middle finger had to reach to type the “T, G and B” on the keyboard. My heart and circulatory system had to work harder to pump blood to my broken finger for healing.  Parts of my body were stretched.

Well the break healed. My finger still looks twice the size it should.  Again the rest of my body adapted to make up for my loss of flexibility and strength maybe for the rest of my life.

This incident reminds me of 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. Read this again.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-26 NIV)

Thinking of Christ’s body, where are you at?

Every part of the body is needed. Even the recessive finger.

Relating to my example right now, are you hurting?  Have you sought other parts of the body for help or healing?  Are you leaning into God’s love or isolating yourself. Please reach out. Others are waiting and willing to help. They just need to know you need it. I know this can be pride swallowing. It was not easy for me to even ask Tiff for help let alone anyone else. But you have to do it. God wants to love on you through the rest of Christ’ body.

For others, are you healthy now?  If so, who are you looking to serve?  There are many within the body of Christ who need your help. Some need physical help. You may have the ability to serve them. Some need an ear to listen.  All of us have 2 of them. Some need prayer. We all need and can do this. Are you healthy, but still lonely?  Others need you and can provide friendship to you.

We all need each other at some point. We were not put on earth to navigate this life alone. Call out, reach out, seek out others to lean on. The body of Christ was created by our loving Father for great purposes. Let’s live out 1 Corinthians 12.