We are All Wounded Warriors
Looking back on the early days following my wrist surgery, I vividly remember the first time I arrived at the orthopedic department of my clinic. As the elevator doors opened, I stepped into a lobby packed with people whose infirmities were starkly visible. There were people in arm casts and leg casts, people in wheelchairs and people with crutches. I was literally in a sea of broken people. And I was one of them.
I realized right then how rare it was to actually see the pain and limitations of the people around me. Often the wounds and scars we bare are hidden and out of view...no less real, but hard to see. We all have them - in one form or another. We’ve all experienced hurt and pain. Some physical - some emotional. And, whether we’re currently enduring or have moved beyond those injuries, we are all wounded warriors…people that continue to live life, despite the pain we’ve encountered. We all need Jesus - His love, His healing, His promise for hope.
The world we live in is much like that waiting room of broken people. The guy in line behind us at the checkout - the woman next to us at the gym - the person at the drive-thru window - the friend behind the Facebook post…they may be in pain at this very moment. Perhaps they’re going through a divorce, caring for a dying parent, battling an illness, or walking through life under a cloud of despair. They may not be wearing their affliction visibly, but their challenge is nonetheless real.
Jesus came on Christmas to a save a broken world because brokenness doesn’t hold a match to the blazing power of His love. So this Christmas season (and beyond) I'm challenging all of us to share a smile with the people we encounter, offer extra patience, and extend a handful of kindness wherever possible. Let’s let those we rub shoulders with know they are not alone. Let’s bring Jesus into our everyday activities and be the Light we were called to be. With very little effort, we might just encourage the struggling, uplift the down-hearted and kindle a flame of hope in a life that desperately needs it.
“He (the LORD God) heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” —Psalms 147:3