anyone in pain?

"The doctor prescribed a cream that she promised would work wonders on the burns. "Will it stop the pain?" I asked because they had taken my bowl of ice water away and I could not believe how much pain three little burned fingers could cause. "It won't help with the pain as much as it will help the burns heal and prevent infection, but you will need a pretty powerful painkiller for the next couple of days," she replied as she wrote a prescription and handed to me. I was surprised to see that it was the same pain medication I had once taken after major surgery. Now, I am not a doctor, but taking pain medication that affects the whole body seems like overkill and almost absurd when only three fingers are in pain. But as the hours passed, I was very thankful for each little pill.

When someone hurts, we should respond to their pain. When one of us is weak, another should be strong. Those who stumble and fall should be able to count on someone to pick them up and finish the race. Instead, we often shoot our wounded and leave them lying in the dirt to find help on their own.

Admittedly, the problem is not always that we are unwilling to help someone in pain. Sometimes we are simply blind to the fact that they exist. We overlook hurting people because we are in a hurry or maybe we just don't want to deal with the mess of a broken life.

Jesus Christ willingly left His throne in Heaven and came to Earth as a man. He felt every pain we have ever felt or will feel. He was afraid and lonely and often had no place to "lay His head." Jesus was misunderstood and slandered and then crucified to pay for our sin. It must break the heart of God when we so easily toss aside what cost Him so much, the life of His only Son, Jesus."

* "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others." - 1 Peter 4:10