Body of Christ

Last Friday, I developed a soft blister on my right middle finger from sharpening pencils with an old-school manual pencil sharpener. On Saturday, as I mopped the laminate floor in my house, my blister peeled and I was left with a large pink sore on my finger. It's Tuesday now and my blister had only just begun to heal. Between last Friday and today, however, I was surprised at how often I use that part of my finger and tiny sharp pain shoots up to my brain to remind me that I have to be careful. I've been treating that sore quite gingerly and making sure that I didn't use that finger too often. I even put a bandage over it, but it still felt tender.

Somehow, this experience reminded me that in the Body of Christ, no one should be taken for granted as every part has an important role to play and if there was a defect somewhere, it would surely be noticed.

Romans 12:4-6 (New International Version)

⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

This reminder couldn't have come at a better time. Tomorrow, I will attempt my skills at restorative action/restorative justice for my first formal mediation. As a teacher, I have used such skills many times, but I'm a little nervous tomorrow because my relationship with the two teens involved is still new. There was a verbal altercation between two individuals at youth group last week and one of the other youth group leaders and I dealt with it immediately. Tomorrow, the two teens agreed to meet at church at 6:30pm, so that we could talk it out. I asked my two RA/RJ mentors to give me a few beginners' tips and they knew I have been studying my notes on mediation. Even though I have a piece of paper to say I'm a certified RA/RJ expert, I'm still nervous. I feel there's more on the line here because if the meeting doesn't go well for either teen, then someone will not be returning to youth group. I do not want this to cause anyone to reject God. I realize, as I prayed for these two individuals this past weekend, how valuable they are to the group. They both have a quirky side and both have great opinions to share. I hope tomorrow's meeting will go smoothly.

I appreciate any prayers you may offer for these two teens and for me.

Dear God, I know you are in control and the outcome is in your hands. May your Holy Spirit give me words to speak and give words to the teens, as well, so that they can honestly express how they feel to each other. Please stop my knees from shaking. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, AMEN.