dannywoodall500@hotmail.com
The oldest of three activate children; Breanne is a typical teen-age girl. She looks forward to each day and enjoys playing basketball and marching in the band. She is active in her school and church.
The only problem that Breanne has is sometimes her knee will pop out of place. When it happens she is able to sit down however she is unable to walk or move her leg in any way. In order for her knee to get back in place someone has to lift her leg while Breanne is sitting. When the knee pops back in place it will cause a sharp pain but then Breanne is able to go about her activities.
Recently during band practice the knee popped out of place. The nurse called her mom. Her mom tried to get the nurse to put the knee back in place. However Breanne wanted her mom to come and tend to the knee. Sure the nurse was capable of doing it but she wasn’t her mom. When she was hurting and in pain, Breanne wanted her mom.
When we are hurting spiritually, we should do what Breanne did and call on someone who has been there for us before. We should call on our Heavenly Father; we know we can trust him. Instead we run to any number of temporary gods. Some try to gain more possessions, other try new experiences, and often we turn to our favorite alternative god, ourselves.
In the end all we get is more pain and no gain. Breanne could have had the nurse lift her leg, or a coach could have helped her. The nurse and the coach have both dealt with emergencies before but for Breanne none of these would do. She wanted her mom, who had been through the problem before, someone she trusted. When we are in trouble we need to make it a habit to turn to God.
In some of the articles I write, I try to show how we can learn from God in unusual situations. Like the glider pilots of World War II, teaching us about intercessory prayer. Another time it was the seventeenth-century pirates rolling their contraband over a narrow strip of land near Galveston; teaching us how we need to be honest with God. Who would imagine that in a middle school located in southeast Texas, we could learn about God?
How a mother lifting her daughter’s leg in order to put her daughter’s knee back in place could give us a glimpse of our Heavenly Father’s love. I cannot see Miss Judy saying, "Now Breanne I have to cause you pain to help the little boy that laughed at you and your friends last week." Although Miss Judy didn’t enjoy causing her daughter pain, she knew it was for her daughter’s own good. God knew from the beginning of time that Christ would have to die on the cross. He knew that both of them would suffer for not only those who would accept him but for those who would also reject him. That is a kind of love no one can explain.
As Christians, we respond to God’s amazing love in odd ways. We like to keep God in church on Sundays. Too many times we approach church like ancient people did when they worshipped their idols. We come to church sit quietly, sing, pray, put money in the plate and go home. Then the rest of the week we deal with our problems on our own.
That is not the type of God that people are looking for. They want a God that can make a difference in their lives today. People are looking for a faith that won’t fall apart when their world does. The family drama that was being carried out in the nurse’s station is the type of faith they are searching for. When troubles come instead of complaining, Breanne and her mom turn to each other. Together with God’s help they can face their problems. The world is looking for a God that can solve hurt knees and more.
Copyright 2005 by Danny Woodall
