Crutches…..fun crutches….a wonderful invention! At the age of 15 I spent time on them after pulling ligaments while riding on a sled being pulled by a snowmobile….my foot was hanging off the edge and hit a stump…ouch! Then a couple years ago, while minding my own business in our house….walking backward carrying a dog crate I stumbled over a hand weight. Didn't even hit the ground, but snapped a bone in my foot--actually my first real broken bone at age 49! But those crutches enabled me to get on with my life and go wherever I chose. I also enjoyed those motorized shopping carts; I got so much attention! Oh poor woman, look, she can't walk…About five weeks ago I fell on a freshly mopped floor at an assisted living center and cracked my tailbone. It still hurts to sit longer than 15 min.
A couple months ago my 13 yr old brought me our precious cat, " Weasel", dripping wet and obviously hurt. He couldn't walk. He had somehow managed to drag himself from the road over to our yard where Jenny found him. Both front paws had been mangled by whatever hit him. Being the sweet feline that he is, our girls were torn up about it. Many cats would have been immediately put to sleep, but we "loved" him so much we didn't want to. We kept him and nursed him back to health. Unfortunately his paws didn't heal correctly and he cannot walk; he hobbles. He is crippled, and will remain that way for life. He is still very sweet. The other day he crawled out of the bathroom, and over a pile of clothes to get to the bed where I was laying. He wanted to get to me. I picked him up and he couldn't get close enough to my face. He wanted affection! He is the sweetest cat in the world! He begs to be picked up and cuddled every night. I'm glad we kept him. But he is still crippled, and there is nothing he can do about that. A few weeks ago he escaped a makeshift fence in our backyard and disappeared for two weeks. The night before last he came home…Walt heard him crying at the front door. He marched right in and stood up on his hind legs to be picked up. We were sure a wild animal had eaten him. A thinner, but just as affectionate, lovable kitty returned to his home!
We are all crippled. Some of us are crippled more than others. We have all been crippled emotionally by the events of our past. We have all had people in our lives who have hurt us physically, let us down, bullied us, betrayed our confidence, lied to us, cheated us, etc. It may have been someone in the church, a close family friend, or someone in your own family. Whenever we think about that person we have a sinking feeling inside. I had someone like that while growing up. It was one of my brother's friends. Every time he got on the bus and looked at me I just hated him. He is no longer living. I'm not sure if it bothered him, but the hate ate me up. I needed to forgive him and be free. We are crippled with bitterness if we do not forgive those who have hurt us. It holds us back from being everything God intended us to be.
It's like we're crippled. We can still move, but some of us hobble, and cannot go as fast as we could if we weren't crippled by whatever it is. Jesus can heal! God is the great healer; if we ask God to help us forgive those who have hurt us and mend our broken hearts we will be able to accomplish more for the kingdom. Many of us are "bleeding on the carpet", as my old pastor used to say, that we have no energy to serve others. If we can forgive as Christ forgave us we would not be emotional cripples. We may run from God and the things that are right, but God wants us to obey Him. He wants us to hold our arms up to be picked up and carried into the rest and peace He can give us, helping us not to be so crippled by events of the past. Ps. 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
