Listen to this short reflection on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-4-joy-in-a-painful-irony/id1606417293?i=1000578880307
Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0dcCHAWzzEsGTU7ARVKRJq?si=a421c20efe434f9b&nd=1
Or if you prefer, read on…
Thanks to an amazing mentor and friend of mine who is always on the lookout for free tools, I am now the proud owner of a larger bandsaw. This new little beauty only needed a little scrubbing, a new blade, and a small little safety device that would keep the blade from causing dangerous things to occur. I could easily make this piece. And this bandsaw would be the tool to use, normally, until the very part I was trying to make—that would make the tool safer—got itself caught on the blade, resulting in the blade cutting right through the tip of my left index finger. Lesson learned. Don’t use the tool that needs to be safer, to make the part needed that will make it safer.
My wife Emily rushed me to the hospital as I held my hand above my heart to minimize the bleed out. Don’t those drives always feel like an eternity? Between the deep breaths and wincing at every—single—speed bump and dip in the road, I noticed a text message coming through to my watch that was now at eye-level. It was from my friend Beverly, one of our ministry team coaches and a good friend of mine. Without knowing my predicament, she had it on her heart to send me James 1:2–4 right in that very moment.
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” –James 1:2–4
Beverly is an amazing example to me of someone who listens to the Lord’s nudges, risking the awkward for the sake of breakthrough. And because of that, she gets to experience the joy of being a part of God’s work in this world. I wouldn’t classify the sending of a Bible verse to me as awkward, but it was timely, because she’s super attentive to the Spirit’s whispers.
Beverly’s faithfulness gave Emily and I something to talk about and reflect on while we waited in what the receptionist called “the worst emergency room scene since February 2020.” Remember that pivotal season? I admitted to Emily how this idea of experiencing “great joy” in that moment felt out of reach as I sat there light-headed, listening to all the hurling, hacking, and crying around me. She offered me the possibility that the “great joy” I’m invited to have in James 1:2 comes through the simple act of trusting God that is seen in verse 3. Keep reading, Nick! Joy is always available through simple acts of trusting in the Lord.
We were eventually taken back to various rooms for x-rays, a tetanus shot, shots for the pain, more shots for the pain, more shots for the pain, and finally a med-student sewing the end of my finger back on. All of it was uncomfortable, but I found myself bringing joy to the moment for others, teasing the various physicians and making dumb jokes about how I can no longer be a hand model. I think the subtle shift I experienced over the course of five hours in the ER was the grace of God through his word. Each small moment of pain, boredom, or frustration was an opportunity to claim God’s promise in verse 2 and embrace the call in verse 3 to rest my faith on him.
Five hours later, I was good to go! We’ll see how my finger turns out. But as I was sharing the experience with some family members later that evening, I realized that I was carrying a sense of joy and supernatural endurance. I had just tried to lop my finger off, sat in the ER for five hours, but my spirit felt light and strong! Could this be the promise of endurance in James 1 verse 4? You got it.
It surprised me! Normally I’d be milking sympathy and trying to get out of responsibilities. But instead I find myself excited to keep going and share God’s faithful word with you! Listen to this turn of events: I cut my finger tip off. Not knowing this, Beverly sends me a verse that lands literally in front of my eyeballs. I read it, and the timing of it gives me a joyful giggle in the midst of pain. Emily and I have to sit in a waiting room for a long time, giving us a chance to reflect on the verse. And then I find myself becoming the joy bringer to a bunch of ER personnel on their worst collective day since Covid began. If only I could apply God’s word to my life more often!
I’ve affectionately and officially dropped the letter “n” from the word bandsaw, making me now the proud owner of a “badsaw.” Also trying to type without your left index finger…is troublesome. What do you think? Maybe I should consider it an opportunity for great joy?
Reflect:
What’s got your finger wrapped up today? Whatever it is, may you consider it an opportunity for great joy as you take a breath and trust Jesus with it! He will grow your endurance!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Greenwoodand his wife Emily live in Rancho Cucamonga, CA with their three small men and adopted princess. Nick is passionate about helping pastors and churches awaken and activate affection for Jesus, one another, and those yet to believe. He is a Discipleship Pastor in a local church and leads Novo's ACTIVATE(D) Team: activatedteams.org