A friend (and church member) has limited vision. He cannot see the details of electrical connections and spatial configuration. He needed a little help with a “quick” job. His new microwave was set to be delivered, and installation was prepaid.
This sounds easy enough. When the microwave was delivered, they announced they couldn’t install the new machine until the old one was removed. We live in the day of specialization.
The removal was complicated. The microwave was bolted into the studs above the oven. The metal framing was hard to reach, with almost no access space. Our Pastor recruited help. The old microwave required a forced eviction. The Pastor made not one, but two trips to get the right tools for the awkward space. During these breaks, the homeowner and my husband (the recruit) enjoyed swapping stories of God’s goodness. When our Pastor returned, he supplied the muscle, holding the heavy microwave above the framing. My husband angled himself to get his hands and arms into the crowded space. He reports that his “skinny” arms and the right tools worked to bend the frame and unbolt the machine as the homeowner cheered them to victory after SEVERAL HOURS.
This story illustrates the working of Christ’s body: The Pastor provides the right tools and the muscle (strength in motion-motivation). The congregant has the necessary gifts (hands that fit the job), and the homeowner encourages.
In Christ, we work (and sometimes fumble) through problems. Together, we find solutions. With His help, we experience victory, grow in relationship, depend on prayer, and make our way through this life, united in His body, sometimes with a few scrapes and scratches. As for “how many Christians does it take to remove a microwave?” That’s a story for later.
~ Nan Robertson
Christ Fellowship