Some "Swell" Considerations

 

Some "Swell" Considerations

Bee venom and my body do not get along. I'm not allergic to bees, but I have "moderate" reactions. My husband and I each got stung last Saturday. After a few minutes, he didn't feel the sting and couldn't even tell exactly where he had gotten stung. I, however, began swelling near the sting site. Thankfully, this sting wasn't near my eye like the last two times! I got stung on the hand this time and - three days later - the swelling was still there, although it showed signs of improvement. I could touch my fingertips to my thumb, almost make a fist, hold a pen and semi-write, and could almost see knuckles and veins again. 

About 52 hours after the sting

There are many thoughts that can accompany an injury or illness. Here are some thoughts I considered during this time, in no particular order. I have included a Bible verse with the sections and more at the end.

Compassion for Others

One of the first and largest reminders that I had during this time was compassion for others. I went to a memorial service the same day I was stung. I could have pointed out my discomfort to my friends and neighbors, but I was drawn to notice individuals there who were suffering things much more painful and enduring than my swollen hand. I felt no desire at that point to say anything about my discomfort. There are individuals who go through much harder things, and for much longer durations. Some people have chronic swelling or pain due to injuries, illnesses, needed medications, or syndromes - for decades! Some people deal with other kinds of pain - mental, emotional, relational, etc. My discomfort may last 4-5 days, but then I'll move on and get back into my usual routines. Some people don't have that opportunity.

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"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4)

Overlooking Struggles

It can be easy to overlook another's struggles, or to at least not understand the implications those struggles have on a person. We can be so self-absorbed that we don't see the pain in someone close to us. I was around many people last weekend - at a memorial service, at church, and visiting family, and not one person mentioned my swollen hand (besides my husband who already knew about it). I honestly believe most people didn't even notice. I emphatically don't mean to imply that these wonderful people were self-absorbed, but it drew to my attention the times when I myself may be self-absorbed and not see the hurts of others. 

"Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." (1 Corinthians 10:14)

Different Effects

The same situation can affect people differently. As I mentioned at the beginning, my husband's bee sting didn't bother him at all after a few minutes while I had swelling for days. This applies to other situations, too - of many kinds! This could be anything from illnesses and injuries, to family losses, to work stress - you name it. We all react differently. What may cause only minor and short-term discomfort for some may have long-term and serious effects for others. Hmph - if that's not something the whole COVID-19 virus has also taught us!

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." (Romans 14:13)

Things Can Change

When I first thought of this one, I thought about how a little bitty sting caused a larger area to swell. (The pictures below show my hand at 45 minutes, 3 hours, and 21 hours after the sting.) Situations can start that way - one small action leads to certain results and often more actions and results. As I typed this, I was reminded of another perspective, too. A beekeeper friend of ours has said that each time you get stung, the reaction is less. For some people, however, I have heard the opposite to be true. I have been stung four times in the past year and four months that we have been beekeeping and have not yet determined if the reactions are getting better or worse. 

          

Application? A small sin, whether it be in thought, word, or deed, can grow into something much larger and troubling. Then again, a small kindness can also grow into something bigger and better. A grudge can fester; a gratitude can flourish. Another application is that repeatedly experiencing the same situation, whatever it may be, can make you stronger or it can weaken you. Sometimes we have a choice whether to remain in that situation or not. Sometimes we only have the option to choose the attitude we are going to have and how we are going to react to the situation. It's good to be aware to our situations and how they are affecting us. It's good to be aware of what situations those around us are dealing with and how they are being affected. How could we help or encourage them?

"'But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.'" (Luke 8:15)

Help

It's okay to ask for help AND it's okay to accept help that is offered! I found myself asking for help opening water bottles, carrying things, washing dishes, etc. - things I wanted to be able to do for myself or for someone else! I tend to be pretty independent (especially about little things like these!), but I found myself releasing control and allowing others to help me. I allowed myself to ask for help, even in the little things. We were created for community, not isolation.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

Perseverance

Sometimes you just have to keep pressing on. You can't just sit and wallow. Complaining will not serve you well. You have to push through the pain and difficulties sometimes. This leads me to my next thought:

Difficulty Does Not Mean You Are Out of God's Will!

Just because you are suffering in some way and not experiencing wonderful wealth, health, and prosperity DOES NOT mean that you haven't been obedient enough. It doesn't mean you haven't prayed enough, fasted enough, read your Bible enough, served at the church enough, tithed enough. It doesn't mean any of those things! What about the apostle Paul? Would you tell me that he wasn't obedient enough or that he was outside of God's will when he said he had a "thorn in his flesh", when he was bitten by a snake, shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, whipped, imprisoned, etc.? (Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-31 for a brief list.) What about the Christians who were martyred - and still are today - for telling others about Jesus? And what about Jesus, Himself? He suffered greatly! Do you think he was having fun up on that cross? (Read Matthew 27:27-54 for part of the story.) Surely you don't want to imply that He was out of God the Father's will. Living for Jesus is not without trials and pain.

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?" (Hebrews 12:7)

Sometimes the Path to Healing Doesn't Feel Any Better

My husband was home from work for Labor Day. All throughout the day, he insisted on bandaging my hand to push some of the swelling out. Sometimes it wasn't too bad. At other times, my hand ached. Fluid built up in my proximal interphalangeal joints. (Yes, I looked up that term. It's the joint in the middle of your fingers, the first joint out from your knuckles. Our daughter once asked the scientific name for the knuckles - which are the metacarpophalangeal joints - and so I was curious which these were.) I had been excited that morning that I could touch my fingertips to my thumb, but when my hand was bandaged, I couldn't touch or hold anything! The way to growth, healing, or just a better life isn't always easy. Surgery to correct a medical issue can be painful - but lead to healing. Physical therapy after surgery can be painful - but if you stick with it, the end result is better than where you were or where you currently are. Counseling can be painful, but lead to greater mental, emotional, and/or relational health.

"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:10-11)

Consider the Motive

That little bee wasn't just a mean little critter set on hurting someone. She was defending her home and her community. Someone was entering their home and taking their honey. Yes, I was standing probably about 10-15 feet away holding nothing more threatening than a cell phone to take pictures, but she was doing what she thought best to protect the hive. And you know what - she gave her life for them! Whenever a bee stings someone, she dies. Whenever something painful happens to you and someone else is involved in it, carefully consider their motive. I know this is something I've had to talk to my pre-teen and teen kids about. Yes, it might have made you feel badly, but that might not have been the other person's intent at all.

"Do not say, 'I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did.'" (Proverbs 24:29)

The one picture I took before I got stung

Don't Let Fear Keep You from the Good Stuff

As I mentioned earlier, I have been stung four times in a little more than a year. Do you think that means I'm going to stay away from the bees? No way! I still love them - and the delicious honey they make! I love that they pollinate our flowers and the vegetables in our garden. It's possible that I might wear a bee suit more often, even if I'm not personally dealing with the hive - but fear is not going to win! Don't let a hardship keep you from getting the good stuff. If you run into a tough spiritual question, don't turn from God or stop studying the Bible. If God doesn't answer a prayer the way you wanted Him to answer, don't stop praying. Take the test, run the race, do whatever it is that is set in front of you. Reach for that goal!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

More Verses

(Compassion for Others)

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."  (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

(Overlooking Struggles)

"In reply Jesus said: 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving hi half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.'" (Luke 10:30-34)

(Different Effects)

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36)

"'Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?'" (Matthew 7:1-3)

(Things Can Change)

"'Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.'" (Matthew 26:41)

(Help)

"The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'" (Genesis 2:18)

(Perseverance/Difficulty Does Not Mean You Are Out of God's Will)

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything...Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:2-4, 12)

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," (2 Timothy 4:12)

(Sometimes Healing Hurts)

"'Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.'" (Matthew 7:14, KJV)

(Consider the Motive)

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." (Romans 12:17-19)

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

(Don't Let Fear Keep You from the Good Stuff)

"'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Deuteronomy 31:6, repeated in verse 8 and Joshua 1:9)

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive he crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12)

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14)

Compassion and Circumcision

I love words. I like the sound of them and the feel of them in my mouth. My mother taught speed-reading classes, but I didn't enjoy speed-reading - I wanted to savor each word as it came, not rush through them. I think it is also an aspect of why I chose speech-language pathology as my profession, and why articulation (speech sounds) is my favorite area. One of my favorite classes was Phonetics. I even got to be a teaching assistant for this class during graduate school. It was such fun for me to sound out each and every sound in the words. (Okay, I know there aren't many of you who would agree with me on this.)

Another thing I love is learning the meaning of words and word origins. (Medical terminology was fun, too!) Sometimes there are words we use every day and don't know the correct meaning or context of them. Take gesundheit for example (as we sometimes say when someone sneezes). I used to think it just meant "God bless you" but that's not quite accurate. It is German in origin and means literally "health-hood" or to have good health. It used to be a more common belief that the soul left the body when one sneezed, opening up the possibility of ill health to enter, hence the wishing of one's good health or the blessing of God to be bestowed upon the person.

I have gained some new perspective on a couple words and wanted to share them with you.

Compassion

What is compassion to you? I would generally say it is being kind-hearted, or that you have a desire to do something nice for someone else. A Bible verse that I've used often (especially in training our children) has been Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Many uses of compassion and compassionate in the Bible refer to God's character towards us. Oh, may we be more like Him! During a recent Bible study as well as a more recent sermon, I have come to have some new thoughts about this word.

Did you know that the Greek word for compassion translates "being moved in the bowels?" "Turning of the bowels" was another way I heard it defined. For those who may not know, your bowels are your intestines - or your gut. There is a belief by some that I think is less common now (maybe just because people don't talk or think about it) that the soul of a person, their spirit, resides in the gut region. When the Holy Spirit lives in someone, it is in this area, too. Think about the saying that we "have a gut feeling" about something.

Compassion refers to the inward feeling of concern, for when we have sympathy or empathy for someone else. I have had this kind of gut feeling for so many people - even people I don't know personally, including Facebook acquaintances of some of my friends/acquaintances, celebrities (one past one being Mary J. Blige - I don't know why; I just know God laid her on my heart for a few days), and people in other countries and cultures, such as those affected by severe droughts and floods that lead to starvation in Africa. If we are followers of Christ, then our hearts should hurt for what and whom God's heart hurts. We should feel this inward, visceral emotion for others. It should not be just a verbal response of "I'm sorry your dealing with that" and we move on with our own selfish thoughts, desires, and ambitions. We should feel it in our gut.

Now, compassion is not meant to just remain an inward feeling. Just as the contents of the bowels are not meant to remain in the bowels, neither is compassion meant to remain inside us. It is something that should be acted upon. Some say kindness is the outpouring of compassion, or "compassion in action." One way to think about it that my pastor, Jared Allen, shared was "love with its work clothes on." So, what do you do with the compassion you feel? Do you stuff it down because it is uncomfortable? It would take time, energy, and possibly money to help this other person or persons, wouldn't it? So, sometimes it gets stuffed. But what could be done instead?

We all have different skills and resources available to us, but we should pray about it and find a way to use them. (Please pray first - don't step out on your own without prayer!) Sometimes prayer is the gift that you can offer - but make sure it is sincere. If you say you are going to pray for someone, find ways to ensure that you will. Pray for them immediately, set an alarm, put a note where you'll see it, or find some other way to make sure you follow through. Let your words be true. Maybe you can show support in another manner. If led by the Lord to supply another need, then I hope your love will put its work clothes on!

One side note would be that not everyone who has a sad story and on whom you feel compassion needs or wants help. There are times when we need to stand back and let God do His own work within them. There are times when we decide that they need to deal with the consequences of their own actions without help from others, but this needs to not be our own human decision. We need to allow God to decide that, not us. But prayer can always be offered. Again, your prayer before jumping into action is very important! You need to ask God how He wants you to be involved before you decide to act (or not act) on your own decision, because it could be more detrimental than beneficial.


Circumcision

Circumcision can sometimes be an uncomfortable word to talk about. It is a word that invokes thoughts of pain and discomfort, as well as encroaching into the private life of another. It is not one that many people talk about openly. As such, if you are unfamiliar with this word or would like to know more about its meaning and history, I'd rather let you do your own research, if you are so inclined.

A good starting place for us now would be to point you to the first circumcision mentioned in the Bible, which is in Genesis 17. Abram was told that every male should be circumcised as a sign of the everlasting covenant between God and them. I have to admit that I always wondered how it would be a sign to others of their covenant relationship, because it would have been covered or hidden, right?

As is pointed out elsewhere in the Bible (Romans 2:28-29, Galatians 6:12-15) what is most important is a circumcision of the heart, not of the body. (It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway - this applies to women as well as to men.) It refers to living a new life in Christ Jesus and getting rid of the old ways (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Let's draw some lines of similarity between a physical circumcision and a spiritual circumcision. First, something is cut off. Spiritually, we must cut ourselves off from a life lived without Jesus as our savior, guide, and, well, in lack of a better word at the moment - boss. We must cut off all the sins that encumber our lives and are displeasing to God. Second, circumcision requires time to heal. You can't expect changes to be pain-free, easy, and quick. Yes, some might be that way, but more likely than not, they will be hard and they will hurt at some level. Third, there is symbolism of the change. Spiritually, baptism is a symbol of someone's decision to live the rest of their life with and for Jesus. As my pastor said, "Baptism is not necessary for salvation but it is necessary for obedience." It is an act of obedience that every believer is called to do as a symbol to others. As my pastor also pointed out, it's like wearing a wedding ring does not make you married. Baptism should also be a symbolic reminder to ourselves, just as a physical circumcision would have been a personal symbolic reminder of God's covenant with the Jews. Each Jewish male carried around his own personal reminder of God's covenant. (2 Peter 1:12-15).


Conclusion
I hope that this word study has provided some new thoughts for your own life and walk with Jesus as it did for me. I pray that you'll be compassionate and put your compassion in action. Let it wear its work clothes. I pray that you'll have a moment of introspection and consider the circumcision of your heart. Have you had a full circumcision and have you followed through with baptism? How can you remind yourself daily of your life with and in Christ instead of living for yourself or the world? May you be aware of God's blessings upon your life today.



References: (just a brief listing - please forgive that this is not a complete bibliography)
The Holy Bible (NIV); The Gospel Project, Vol. 8 (Summer 2017), Session 8; merriam-webster.com; sermons by Jared Allen (7/23/17 and 8/13/17).