A few days ago, I got a paper cut on the inner part of my right index finger, right behind the knuckle. Thankfully, it has already begun to heal, but for that first day, it seemed that every time I bent my finger, I was reminded that it was there. I have had numerous paper cuts over the years and this surely won’t be the last one (I am a bit clumsy after all).
Yet, as I reflected upon it - I realized that if I somehow avoided bending my finger, I didn’t have to deal with the pain.
About 20 plus years ago, I broke my pinkie on my right hand (which warrants its own blog post somewhere down the line). I had to have a temporary pin put in as it was also right at the knuckle. This was followed by weeks of hand therapy. Yet, despite that, I cannot fully straighten or fully bend that finger. It is still a bit crooked.
With the supposition that everything can be a sermon illustration, I got thinking about this small slice into my index finger in relationship to my crooked finger. In not bending either finger, I was able to avoid pain and discomfort but I also was limiting its usefulness and my ability to do a variety of things.
Could we not say that about the way that we live our lives as well?
In our reluctance or inability to be flexible, do we not also limit our lives, our perspectives, our abilities to grow, stunt the growth of our faith?
We might think that it would be too painful to change, to be open to new things. Or that it will be too difficult to try. That we aren’t somehow up to the challenge.
Yet, if we remain immobile, the muscles of our faith can atrophy. And like my crooked pinkie, we limit what could be possible, what we might yet experience.
Change requires movement, flexibility and even discomfort and pain at times. In changing, we find new things are possible - new ways of viewing our lives, our relationships, our perspectives. In doing so, we open ourselves more fully up to God, remembering that with God all things are possible!
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