rebelling against low expectations

How can I glorify God through my injury?

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ANONYMOUS WRITES: How do you deal with injury?

I recently broke my elbow but there’s more to it than just pain. My right arm is useless so I can’t do much, and even then it’s harder than it should be. (For instance it took me 5 minutes to figure out how to open a pop bottle.) I tend to get grumpy.

For those of you who’ve been through this sort of thing, how did you handle the discouragement/frustration? How did you fight the extra temptation to complain and be a grouch?

Also, can I be helpful if I can’t work? How is God glorified when I’m stuck on the couch with a book and an ice pack? I know this is a lot to answer, but at this point anything helps. Thanks!


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are submitted by real rebelutionaries who are looking for godly answers to tough questions and lively conversation with other young adults. You can join the conversation by commenting below. If you'd like to submit your own discussion question, email us at [email protected].

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  • Have you ever heard of Bethany Hamilton?? Or watched Soul Surfer (the movie made about her)?? I know her scenario is more extreme, but I think her story would do a wonderful job of answering your questiosn and inspiring you if you haven’t heard it already!
    I highly recommend the movie; the only negative is that all the female characters wear bikinis…otherwise, it’s a wonderful movie!! And Bethany is a Christian, so the movie is from a Christian perspective. =)
    Anyway, I just think her story does a MUCH better job of explaining than I could..so I’ll leave you with that!
    And also, I’m so sorry that happened to you. =P I know I’d be struggling too!! Praying!!

  • Well, there are still some things that you can do. Like, if you can read, then you can glorify God by reading christian books that will strengthen your walk with Christ right?

    I’ve never broken bones or anything, so I can’t really understand what it’s like, sorry :/

  • I’ve broken both my arms, so I can sympathize with you there. You can always, always pray for somebody. That could make a world of difference, as well as draw you closer to God and possibly that person. Then there’s always the fact that you can talk to somebody (like out here!) or call somebody, let them know you’re there for them, and talk to them if you know they’re struggling.
    You can play a slow-paced game with a family member, read your Bible, or just talk with somebody in an effort to grow closer to God and/or your family.
    Well, when I broke my arms, I had to wear a sling for a while, and that was very constricting, so I kind of get what you mean about immobilization. So my advice:
    1. Pray for people
    2. Talk to people
    3. Grow closer to God and/or family
    4. Encourage others through your injury

  • Having broken one of my arms 3 times so far in my relatively short life, I’ve had to deal with this before. Everyday activities like showering, writing, typing, pouring milk, and opening doors suddenly become complicated.
    When this has happened, my thoughts turn to those who have suffered much more than I have.
    Growing up, there was an older couple in my church that I looked up to a ton. I basically considered them to be grandparents. Their names were Ron and Sharon, and they loved us kids at church, even though we could be really annoying sometimes. Like really annoying! Mr. Ron in particular would always take time to sit down with us and call us by his special nicknames for us and talk to us about our weeks. We all loved him, and I in particular bonded with both him and his wife and went over to their house several times.
    Fast forward about 4 years, and Mr. Ron got a progressed stage of lung cancer, immediately starting into chemo and radiation. Before cancer, he had been very active, and he and his wife had biked literally tens of thousands of miles together, hiked outdoors, and loved spending time outdoors in God’s creation. Now he was on the couch or in chemo therapy. Any attempt at talking made filled his throat and lungs with indescribable pain.
    About a year or two later, he was almost gone and in such pain that we all were ready for him to go home. I called him, and managed to get in a last goodbye in a short, whispered conversation that I’m sure hurt him more than he let on.

    He was the first person that I’d been really close to that had died. It broke my heart to see him go, but all throughout his battle with cancer, he gave God the glory and refused to let me see the side of him that wanted to scream in pain. Even up to the end, he was still his old, funny self that got delight out of talking to ‘youngsters’ and giving glory to his Creator.

    I think of him, I think of those who have lost legs and arms and become paralyzed, and suddenly, my injuries pale in comparison.

    I know this doesn’t take away the immediate annoyance of your elbow, but there’s a lot you can be thankful for. I know we can all say that with a hearty amen.

  • Over Christmas break I injured my leg in training. My doctors orders were1 month on Crutches and 3 months with nothing more than walking a limited amount. For the girl who usually trains 3-4 hours a week in Martial Arts, this was a though blow. So below is what I’ve learned, and am learning, while I’m laid up for a few months.

    I found that not being able to do anything physical gave me a ton of time to do other things. I am able to make things for my niece and siblings. And take time to read, before I could never slow down enough to get through a few pages. And I’ve had time to think and pray. God has taught me a lot over the past month I’ve been laid up. Trust me, it’s been killer, but I’m making it day by day. And as for what I do when I get restless? I knit, read, write, and dream of the day when I can return to Tae Kwon Do.

    Look for things you didn’t have time to do before. Listening to audio books, reading, praying, things like that. I’m sorry, I don’t know how much you can do with a busted arm. I’ve only injured my leg. But think outside the box. Reading books to your siblings if you have them. Little things that would make people smile.

    I hope this helps!

    • I can totally relate, I normally train 5-10 hours a week for bouldering and obstacle running so it’s been rough. This really helps though, thank you!

      • You’re welcome. I think rock climbing is AWESOME! But there aren’t any good places to climb here unless you go to an expensive gym. What’s obstical running?

        • It’s the same here but I got a gym pass for Christmas, so now I’m working toward comp climbing. Obstacle running’s just a scaled up version of an obstacle course with a lot of emphasis on upper body stength (like American Ninja Warrior) and whoever makes it farthest the fastest wins — it’s not very popular as far as sports go, but it’s a blast! How did you get into martial arts? It sounds like fun.

          • My brother started Tae Kwon do. After he did it for a couple months I joined. He quit a couple months later but I continued. In December I earned my Black Belt after 3 years of training. Unfortunately, two weeks later I injered my leg so I cant show off my Black Belt for couple more months.

          • Yeah. It was a ton of hard work. I’ll be training at my normal pace by this summer. I’m praying for. Get well soon!

          • Hey, I was in Martial Arts for 6 years. I loved it at first, and then not so much. My dad made me take the class because it was free and he wanted me to learn how to defend myself. One of the men at my old Church taught/teaches the class for free (to Church members) because he’s an ex-cop and he believes that everyone should know how to defend themselves. He’s a black belt in a lot of forms of Martial Arts, so he sort of combines a couple forms, but mostly teaches Shotokan, which is one of the most difficult forms of Martial Arts. As evidenced by the fact that, as I said, I was in it for six years and there are 8 ranks that you can earn (besides Grand master which you become after teaching 10 students from white belt to black belt) including white and black belts and I was a brown belt, black stripe (the rank before black) when we moved. I had no intention of becoming a black belt anytime soon, because the test to become a black belt is extremely difficult. Now that I’ve been out for over a year I do somewhat miss it, but I’m grateful for the time that I had in it. If I ever get messed with, I’ll know what to do. By the way, do you know how to take away a gun? Gun-take-aways are one of my favorite things I learned in Martial Arts. It is so fun to do.

          • I’m not technically trained in martial arts but I love take-aways! Have you thought about stunt doubling? It’s just like acting only you do all the fun stuff and don’t have to worry about being famous, if you could get your black belt you’d have the skill.

          • I’ve never thought about it, but that sounds cool! I’ve wanted to be part of a movie in some way for several years, but I’m a terrible actress… however just doing fights and stunts… I could probably do that. Maybe I’ll get my black belt some time! My Sensei would be thrilled.

    • You knit! *beams in delight* I love that! I’m something of an avid knitter myself… I sympathize with you even as I can’t empathize, having never had such an injury and not really being a huge sports person. But still, it sounds like you’re making good use of your time laid up.

      • Yeah I knit. But not well at all. I can only do the basics. But with a niece on the way I’m trying to make something nice to welcome her to this world.

    • Ugh, hope you feel better soon! Sounds like you adapted pretty well–I had surgery last summer and wasn’t allowed to work out at all for a month or two, and I thought I was going to go crazy.

  • In 2011 I twisted my ankle playing soccer during a children’s ministry, so I was forced to sit on the couch for a whole week, which I used to make a doll for a little girl at my church (one of my proudest accomplishments in life!) and so I know your situation is different… but when I had a tooth infection in 2014 the little bit of pain that I went through (comparatively) helped me to better appreciate the agonizing pain Christ went through for us.

      • You’re welcome! I was surprised when the ‘anonymous’ question-asker was none other than the familiar stranger Okie Gal =^D Another thing you could try is to ask God to show you what lessons He wants you to learn through this not-so-pleasant experience.

  • I have broken four bones. You could say I am an expert on this type of situation! Believe me I know it is frustrating. Sometimes you just want to punch a wall (though that wouldn’t be good for your elbow). But through times like this God can show you how much you need to depend on Him. For hope, strength, and even sanity. As someone who has spent a lot of time in bed, let me just say it is a great way to glorify God. Spend your time, becoming a prayer warrior. Have you ever deeply prayed for one person for 5 minutes, the way you would want to be prayed for? IT’S AMAZING! Send texts of encouragements to others letting them know you are praying and/or verses to help them fight the Good Fight. And spend A LOT of time in God’s Word. He may use your time on the couch to prepare you spiritually for war. Hope this helps!

    • Thanks for the encouragement and ideas. It’s crazy how many people can relate, this isn’t my first time breaking bones (about my 16th actually) but it’s one of the more discouraging so I seriously appreciate these comments. Thanks again!

  • Having a husband who has been disabled for many years, I have an interesting perspective here. It is easy to get tangled in the details of the care, in the realization of all the limitations (the “new normal”), and really lost in our feelings about all of it, but I know with certainty from Scripture, that the Lord (He wants to lead us in supernatural wisdom and truth) so He charges us to set our minds on things above and not on the things of the earth…to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter/Finisher of our faith… Who, for the JOY set before Him, endured the cross, despising its shame, and then, sat down at the right hand of God (a position of rest). He said, “Tetelestai” on that cross, which means, “It is FINISHED!” There is no longer any other sacrifice necessary for sin. We stand in grace (in Him), we rest in grace (in Him). He is our Sabbath (our Rest, our Comfort, our Peace)!! And from that place of rest, we can be used to do the works He has prepared for us from the beginning of time, works that He has already planned out and very skillfully equipped us to do…in His power alone, of course. 🙂
    I am still working all of this out in my life, with fear and trembling. I know that the starting place is Him, and He is LOVE, so the starting place is Love. (He showed me the other day that He is the Alpha and Omega, and He is LOVE, so Love is the Alpha and Omega!! Cool, huh?) <3
    I am finding that the whole thing is very simple. We love Him, because He first loved us. And His love in us will power whatever He wants us to do, which is summed up in those two commandments: Love God, Love people.
    My youngest son and I were talking about my husband's limitations and why he hasn't been healed yet (this can be very hard on a 12 year old boy), and God led me to tell him about two very special people, actually three:
    Joni Eareckson Tada and Nick Vujcic are great pictures of individuals with very interesting challenges who are being used by God to LOVE HIM and LOVE PEOPLE in glorious ways.
    We looked at some of Joni's art, which is created with pencils or brushes in her teeth (she's a quadriplegic) and talked about that (we even attempted to write out names with pencil on his notebook paper, which was an epic fail!) Afterwards, I pulled up a few of Nick Vujcic's videos that were showing how he is able to do so much for himself and others as a man born with no limbs!
    And a little while later, God reminded me of a post I had shared on Facebook just a few hours before (coincidence, I think not!!): "The only disability is a bad atritude." (This, from Scott Hamilton, Olympic Gold ice skating champion who has an amazing testimony about surviving cancer several times…yes, we watched his "I Am Second" video testimony… 🙂

    The Lord really ministered to both of us yesterday as this disability has been a very long, drawn out faith crisis for our family.
    God is so good to meet each of us where we are and encourage our hearts to keep taking the steps of faith He has marked out for us.
    What a good, good Father! (I so love that song!!)

    I hope my story encourages you… And I will pray for you right now. Please pray for my family, too.

    Thanks!
    In the power of His Love,
    Laura

    • Thank you so much for bringing the idea of suffering back to the gospel! I’m sorry your family has so much going on, my struggles are nothing compared to that. I will definitely pray for y’all whenever you come to mind. Thanks again!

      • Thank you for your encouragement and prayers. May God bring forth greater praise from our lips!!
        No matter what happens, He is worthy!!
        .

        Please lift up my three teenagers this weekend as they all have some special events to attend (that could potentially be life-changing)
        They so desperately need to know the love of God in the context of this very lengthy, disheartening, faith-shaking trial.
        And for attitude adjustments from the Lord for all of us… That He would lead us in thankfulness and mercy. I know He has already proven himself. O’er and o’er…
        Am sold

          • I am learning that the the best prayer for any of us to pray ever in any situation, is “Thy will be done…”

            If we remain (abide) in Him, and His Words remain (abide) in us, we can ask for anything according to His will and it will be done for us!!

            The main thing to ask is for His will, His perfect will to be done and for Him to keep us in perfect peace as our minds are stayed upon Him…and for Him to be glorified.

            Please agree in prayer for me as I am on this journey myself. “Not having taken hold of it completely, but this one thing I do, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:14

            That is my husband’s life verse. I was tempted to write, “that WAS…”, but Faith says, “use the present tense form of that verb!”

            So, even though my human eyes do not see, The Lord is graciously giving me sight to see beyond this present darkness. 🙂

            Hallelujah! Thanking Him for what He is doing in all of our lives, for what He has done and what glorious things are to come!!

            Resting in Him is our salvation. Letting Him quiet our souls, trusting Him, brings us all the grace and strength we need to walk through the moment we are presently in, with faith and integrity, grateful for His magnanimous love and mercy.

            I am conquering through Christ! Because He has called me “conqueror”… I am loved by Him, because He is a “good, good Father!!” 🙂

    • Laura, thank you so much for your comment! I’m living with a chronical shoulder injury, which means that (according to the doctors) I will never be able to use my arm in a normal way.. This often makes me feel so bad and i really have moments when I struggle and don’t understand why God just doesn’t heal me! I know that it’s possible, and I’ve been praying many times for it. Your comment made me realize that physical health shouldn’t be so important to me. Sometimes God does things so we can grow nearer to Him. I don’t pray for healing anymore. Just as Paul did: I’ve been praying, and God said no. It makes me realize that I should focus on Him instead of on the things of the earth.

      • I will pray right now for His love to be shed abroad in your heart and that you will be content in all circumstances, but also hopeful that He can do whatever He desires to do at whatever time He chooses. And that total raxtoation and healing is NOT off the table…

        Moat importantly, that you thrive in His love and generously pour out the same!

        Blessings!

  • Last summer I had major surgery on my right thumb, so I definitely identify (even six months later, I have trouble gripping a water or pop bottle lid). My only plan for last summer was softball, and my injury left my days completely open. I spent my time reading, reading, and reading. You could also pray for others or memorize Scripture. I realize this may not help with the boredom factor, but it’s a huge way to glorify God. Maybe God knew you needed a break from busy life? Use this time to prepare your heart, getting ready for the time when you are able to do more active ministry again. God did so much in my heart because of my injury; I can’t even really believe I’m typing this, because it was so so hard, but if I could go back to the day I got hurt and change what happened–I wouldn’t. One of the greatest blessings of my life came through one of the greatest trials. I hope that you can find peace and joy during this time, and that your cast isn’t itchy! lol!

  • I’m dealing with a work related injury right now (4 herniated and bulging disks in my neck). This happened at the beginning of December. I have a very physical job. I use my arms a ton and do some heavy lifting. Yes, I have “full use” of my arms but I’m now extremely limited as to what I’m allowed to do even though I know I can still do those things. I’m not allowed to do anything physical with my upper body, “no voluntary exercise” as my Dr. put it, except for what I’m doing in PT and it’s hard. It’s hard asking for help. It can be very discouraging. I’ve been writing down verses and titles of songs I’ve been hearing/reading/seeing on fb, at church, etc. and I’m writing down the things I’m thankful for in spite of, and because of, the situation. I read those things almost every night. Turn it over to the Lord. I have hard, discouraging days when I’m wallowing in self-pity and I have good days. Speak truth to yourself. Talk to a fellow Christian about it. It can be of great encouragement. I know it has been for me. I don’t know if this is helpful or not. Just sharing what I’ve learned (and am still learning) through this.

  • From what I’ve seen in the Bible, I believe that the biggest way you can glorify God through an injury is to receive the healing He has already provided for you! When people see Christians recovering from an illness or injury supernaturally fast, they will realize just how great a God we serve! One of my favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 53:4-5, which says:
    “Surely he has borne our griefs
    And carried our sorrows;
    Yet we esteemed stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
    But he was wounded for our transgressions,
    He was bruised for our iniquities;
    the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
    And by His stripes we are healed.”

    Jesus paid for our healing along with our salvation as shown by this verse. I know it can seem to good to be true, but God’s incredible fatherly love for us always seems to good to be true! Like any loving father, God hates to see us sick and hurt and has already provided the healing we need.

    “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” -John 10:10

    • Thanks you so much for trying to help! I really appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I don’t think the Bible ever guarantees that kind of healing.

      The verse from Isiah is clearly predicting what Jesus would do at the Cross. So it seems more likely that this is spiritual healing — as tought throughout the rest of Scripture — rather than physical. The “life” in John 10 is life in Christ, in the sense that (by faith) we are pulled from our sin and restored to a life joy in who God is.

      Not that God can’t heal physically, but in many parts of the bible he decides to use trials for his glory and our ultimate good. For instance Paul suffered to keep him from becoming conceited (2 corinthians 12:7-9).

      I’m not trying to attack, I’m just interested in what you think and I’d love to talk about it. I hope I wasn’t rude.

      • I believe there are many people who are not being healed because they don’t believe it is possible without human intervention… And when all the tools that modern medicine can provide have been exhausted, they are out of options. Look at the woman who went to Jesus after having spent all she had on doctors:
        Luke 8:43-44
        “And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.”

        Just HER touch (It wasn’t His directive that instigated her being healed) and the bleeding stopped. And when she admitted to touching Him and explained why, and then shared the result, Jesus’ response is probably surprising to some…

        And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Verse 48)

        He called her “Daughter”!! Identifying her as a family member with an intimate tender salutation, I interpret that as an affirmation of what she did, especially when He clearly says that her faith “made her well”… And bid her “go in peace”… That sounds like a blessing to me: kinda like He was saying, “Attagirl!!, keep up the good work!” (which wasn’t work at all, it was belief!!)

        I don’t think it is always this simple, of course. But I know that His tender mercies are new every morning. Compassion never fails when it comes to our Lord. He says over and over again to trust Him and fear not. And that godliness with contentment is great gain. So no matter what our situation, we can give Him thanks, seek Him first, trust, be still, wait on Him and know that He will lead us in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake… For some, that may mean doctor’s care, hospitals, physical therapy, pharmaceuticals, etc. But He doesn’t need to use any of these instruments to perform surgery and rehabilitation (and/or instant relief!!) And we do well to consult the Great Physician for His Gilead Balm and Healing Touch, however He chooses to bring it about! There is nothing He cannot do. He is God. Lord of ALL!

      • Hey Okie Gal!

        It is definitely interesting to hear other people’s perspectives!
        You know, there’s an interesting verse in Matthew 8:16-17, which says:
        “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
        ‘He Himself took our infirmities
        And bore our sicknesses.”

        This verse seems to prove that Isaiah was indeed talking about physical healing as pointed out by Matthew in the verse. In the Gospels, we see Jesus healing every single person who asked Him for their healing. Since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), it would seem that anyone who comes to Him in faith will be healed.

        It may seem that Paul suffered to keep from being conceited, but that’s not exactly the case. 2 Corinthians 12:7 says:
        “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.”

        The word exalted here is not referring to pride! It is referring to how God exalts us when we humble ourselves (1 Peter 5:6). Think about it, Paul was rocking the world for Jesus! He was also writing most of the New Testament. Satan saw him as a threat (which Paul was), so Satan sent a messenger to hinder Paul wherever he went. Satan was attempting to stop Paul’s ministry; God did not use Satan to give Paul the thorn in the flesh.

          • Of course! I’m not trying to debate you or anything like that. Just talking about faith matters with a fellow Christian, which is always a good thing. 🙂

          • Right! It’s always worth learning from each other. Rereading, I think Isaiah was predicting Jesus’ ministry as well as his death, so I agree in that sense. What I’m having trouble with is the idea that God always heals people who ask in faith. Back to 2 Corinthians 12, Paul asked to be healed three times (v8) and God didn’t do it because He wanted to show that His grace is sufficient and also so that His power would show in Paul’s weakness (v9). I guess I’m just wondering if God heals *everyone* who asks. Thanks for being patient! If you have anything else on this I’d love to hear. 😄

          • I struggle with the same thoughts as you. We see a lot of Christians who are healed, and others who are not. However, truth is never determined by our experience; it is always determined by what the Bible says!

            Mark 11:22-24 says: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God, for assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” This verse seems to readily prove that whatever we ask in faith to receive, God will provide it. We see evidence from Matthew 15:30, Luke 6:19, and Matthew 8:16 that Jesus healed all who came to Him!

            About Paul’s thorn in the flesh, it wasn’t actually an illness! Paul was being persecuted which was hindering his ministry. God reminded him that His grace was sufficient to handle all things.

            Always a pleasure talking with you 🙂 I have really enjoyed this discussion.

          • Thanks for being willing to talk about this! And, sorry I’m so slow getting back to you.

            I think the reason we don’t quite agree has to do with what we believe about God’s sovereignty. You said earlier that God didn’t use Satan to give Paul his thorn, I think that’s where we differ. Real quickly I’ll tell you what I think there, and then hopefully we’ll get back around to the prayer/healing/ect.

            Okay, so, I believe that God is completely controlling everything that happens. I also think his creators (people, angels, demons, even Satan) are responsible for, and in charge of, our own actions. Think of it like God writing a story — the characters make their own decisions but the Author has total reign.

            So, back to the subj. I do think God gives us suffering and that he does it for good (Genesis 50:20). In Romans 8 it says explains that God makes everything happen for the good of his people, so they can be made more like Jesus. That’s why I think God gives us trials (physical or whatever else) to sanctify his people so they can glorify Him more effectively. He can and sometimes does take away the suffering, but I don’t think that his regular tool for the job (I fully expect God to heal my arm but it will probably take a few months and a boat load of cellular regeneration). God has the right to say no when we ask for things that wouldn’t fit in His Story.

            About Jesus’ ministry of healing, he definitely did that; yet I don’t think that’s a good reason to expect him to heal miraculously now. His character is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, (Hebrews 13:8) but he does different things within that framework, like in Isaiah 43 when he says “Behold, I’m doing a new thing”.

            In all of this we have the hope of the gospel, that our sins are forgiven, and that someday bones won’t break and neither will relationships; and what’s more, we’ll get to meet the God who saved us.

            Didn’t mean to write a book there, but it takes a lot of words to hold a weeks-worth of thinking. Thank you so much for this discussion, I hope I made sense and we can keep it going.

          • I would like to continue this discussion, but I really just don’t have time. School is busier than ever, and I’m having to limit computer/social media time. I hope you understand. 🙂

          • You’re good! Don’t feel rushed and if you’re too busy we can just drop it, whatever works for you. Thanks!

          • I have a few thoughts on this subject that I would like to share: 1. I don’t know if the thorn in the flesh was the persecution (after all, practically all the Christians were getting persecuted back then, and the Gospel was spreading). Paul never says what it is, and I don’t think it’s right to assume things like that. Besides, persecution often has helped further ministries, not hinder them (at least in the long run) and I think Paul understood this. Some have theorized that the thorn in the flesh was a problem with his eyes, left from when he was blinded on the road to Damascus. Again, I don’t know and the Bible doesn’t say, so I wouldn’t be so quick to make such a statement.
            2. I know many good Christian people who have gotten seriously sick/injured, prayed in faith, and didn’t heal, but got/are getting worse and died/are dying. God never said that He will heal every Christian’s infirmities here on earth, He said He would heal them when we go to Heaven. From the point we get saved it’s true that we’re “Spiritually healthy” in God’s eyes, but that doesn’t mean we’re Physically healthy. If it were so no Christian would have a physical death. We would all be physically immortal, but we’re not. Sometimes God uses our infirmities for the good of others. I know a girl from my Church who has a chronic illness from a tick bite when she was 3… if what you’re saying is true then she “should” be healed by now, but she’s not. God is using her and her story to help other Christian women grow closer to Him. I guess in this case I agree with Okie Gal.

  • I have never had an injury like that. But I know someone who when he was young fell off a riding lawn mower while his dad was holding him and had part of his arm and 2 fingers torn off. I have only known him for a few months but he is one of the godliest men I know (he is probably one of the reasons I rededicated my life to God). One of the things I notice about him is that he is not absorbed with his injury but completely absorbed with God. So I think that while your arm is broken and you have free time (that would have been used to do things that needed both arms) you should concentrate on God and get closer to Him and then without even realizing it poof you’re not complaining or being grouchy because you are completely absorbed with how AWESOME God is! Hope this helps and remember 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
    made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly
    of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” quoted from ESV.

  • I Once sprained my ankle, I know, not much of an injury, but I couldn’t get up or go anywhere! I was stuck at my computer desk. I couldn’t run outside I couldn’t do anything that I wanted except for drawing at my desk. So I just thanked god for that injury, “thank you God for this sprained ankle, thank you for keeping me at this desk so that I can draw about you!” and I drew drawings that glorified god!

  • i have had several different injuries in my 16 years here on earth. I have not made it a complete year sense i turned 11 without breaking a bone or severly straining something. My advice to you would be serve God with your your words. Pray for people and encourage them even though you are going through a rough time yourself. Your limited with your ability to do stuff but you are perfectly capable of sitting down with someone and listening and praying for them. I hope this helps sorry this is so late.

    • If you take the focus off yourself long enough to see the pain of others around you, you will see lots of opportunities to minister life to others. It is not an easy thing to do while you are in a bad mood but well worth it.

rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →