A sore thumb

Today I helped with Matthew's homeschool co-op and was "co-opted" into helping at one of the stations during craft time. My role was to help children use a hammer and nail to punch holes through a metal lid and make a Christmas ornament out of it.

Overall I really enjoyed helping. But (you knew there had to be a but), my experience with one girl was not so enjoyable.

For some of the younger children I would hold the nail in place while the students hammered. (You can probably see where this is going.) Suffice it to say that this girl's aim with the hammer was off a bit.

I can't count on one hand, including my thumb, how many times she missed the target and made contact with my finger or thumb instead. My thumb was the most violently violated victim when her swing of the hammer made direct contact. Ouch! It still hurt several hours later.

However, the joy that little girl and her parents will experience as she hangs that ornament on the Christmas tree will be worth the pain.

Isn't the community we call the church often the same way? We take a risk to help others, and sometimes we get hurt. It might be intentional. Often it's accidental. But in a variety of ways we are hurt by people when we seek to help them.

Instead of a bruised thumb, we might have a bruised ego.

In place of a wounded finger, we might find hurt feelings.

Helping people often requires risk. The risk of being let down. The risk of broken promises. The risk of rejection. The risk of disappointment.

If you are thinking back to times when you took a risk to help someone and ended up getting hurt, think about the following: When God sent Jesus to Earth, He took a huge risk. And what do we do in return? Let Him down? Break our promises? Reject Him? Disappoint Him?

God understands your risk. He can relate to your pain. But like God, we must continue to take risks to help others. It's a part of our mission and our call to follow Jesus, even if it means pain and suffering. Think about what Jesus was willing to suffer. It's a lot worse than a bruised ego, hurt feelings, or a sore thumb could ever be.

shine!
Jason