Knit Together

Last Saturday I had an opportunity to climb Mt. Tunari...the highest mountain in Cochabamba towering at over 17,000 feet. It was an amazing experience. While hiking up the mountain I had some time to think about the journey between trying to breathe in the little oxygen that is available at that altitude. Two weeks before our quest I broke the middle toe on my left foot. Although it was physically challenging, I did okay on the climb up the mountain, but on the way down, boy did my toe tell me that we were not having fun anymore.

It made me think about the verses in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 where Paul talks about us all being different parts of one body and how we are each dependent on one another. That day climbing up the mountain I knew that my toe was an intricate part of my body and the rest of the body was dependent on my toe to help get me down the mountain. It´s amazing how much my toe hurting affected my whole being. A small seemingly insignificant part of my body being ´out of whack´ made it hard for me to think of much else.

Isn´t that the way it is in the Body of Christ? We are all dependent on each other. We need each other on our climb. We are to work together in order to reach the world with the good news that God loves them. When something is wrong or broken with the least of us, it affects us all...more than we would think. It affects how effectively we can accomplish our mission. It´s not a small thing when a member of the body (or the Body) is broken. We need each part. Each part has a purpose and God put all the parts together just as He wants them. I want to learn to protect the more vulnerable parts of the Body like I do my own body. When something comes flying toward my face, my whole body jumps out of the way in order to protect my face. When I drop something and it´s heading for my toes, my whole body moves out of the way to protect my foot. Unfortunately in the Body of Christ it seems that when one member is hurting or injured we want to leave them behind or cut them off instead of seeing what we can do to help the healing process. I want to see the object flying toward the face or the toes and help them get out of the way.

My journey down the mountain (and even up the mountain) would have been more pleasant if my body had been whole. Even though I limped through it and made it, it would have been so much more enjoyable if part of me wasn´t injured. I´m glad the rest of my body pitched in and carried me through (and let me rest the next day in bed with my toe up). I want to be there to encourage, help and when necessary carry those parts that are weak and hurting along with me on our journey. I want to be able to stop being so concerned with which part I am and what my function is and see what I can do to help the rest of the Body. God, open my eyes to the hurting ones of your Body and give me strength and courage to help them.

Here we are at the top.  Thankfully I had my friends to encourage me or else I might not have kept going.  Thanks Angie and Julie!!  That´s the way the Body should work!  Love you guys.