I just have to say, it is so unnerving driving a fragile wounded person home from the hospital!
My friend had complex spine surgery on Monday and just 5 days later the hospital was ready to discharge her. My friend’s home is 7 hrs. away, in another state. There is no way she could make that journey.
Therefore, hubby and I offered for her to stay with us the week after her surgery while she recovered. That way she would still be in town and close by for her 2-week follow-up appointment when the doctor would remove the staples from her back.
On any normal ordinary day of driving around town you don’t really give much thought to the potholes and bumps in the road, nor to all the crazy drivers darting here and there in and out of traffic.
But when you have a fragile wounded person, in great pain, whom you are transporting home from the hospital … in this situation you are highly aware of every crazy driver whipping past you! You are very aware of every bump in the road! You are very aware just how long it is taking to get home!
I wrote a couple of blog posts ago about how love protects. That desire to protect comes out strong when you have a fragile wounded person in your car, and you must drive on the same roads as all the crazy drivers zooming past on all sides.
Love is gentle.
Yes, it is completely normal that everyone on the road is driving crazy speeds over the speed limit! … but when you have a fragile wounded person in your car, love is gentle! Love goes slower … because love is gentle. Even if everyone else on the road gets annoyed. Even if everyone else on the road zooms past!
Love sits in the slow lane and love drives slower … because love is gentle.
Love is very aware of every . single . bump in the road. Love is highly aware that the joists at regular intervals all along the length of the bridge are bumps! Can’t really avoid those. But all the other potholes and bumps … love makes a concerted effort to avoid! Because love is gentle.
I wrote a few blog posts ago about how my friend’s complex spine surgery is similar to the spiritual “surgery” God does on us when we make the decision to give our life to Him.
My friend’s deformed bent spine has caused her tremendous pain these past 40 years. She has not been able to stand without burning fiery pain shooting down her hips and legs. She has not been able to walk distances. The things in life which she has been able to do have been limited. She has lived in constant pain.
In the same way, each of us have a deformed bent, spiritually. Naturally we are drawn to do what is wrong and sinful. As we live our life with our deformed spiritual bent, we wind up with much pain because of our sin. We do things we shouldn’t do. We say things we shouldn’t say. There are consequences.
We need spiritual “surgery” to correct our deformed bent, spiritually. We need God to spiritually “straighten” us and make us “new.”
Just like my friend had her deformed bent spine straightened and completely re-built – and in essence she now has a “new” spine – so also, God can take our deformed bent sinful nature and He can “straighten” us and make us “new.”
As I mentioned before, God’s spiritual “surgery” to make us “new” happens in an instant! When we admit to God that we are broken and a sinner, and when we ask God to forgive us of our sin, God instantly takes away our old deformed sinful “bent” and God instantly make us “new” spiritually! It happens in a moment!
And while our spiritually “surgery” happens instantaneously, the process of growing in “newness” takes time – just like my friend’s process of growing in “newness” of her “new” spine will take time.
Leaving the hospital upon discharge, my friend had a “new “ spine … yet she was very fragile! She needed for love to be gentle!
In much the same way, when we receive a “new” spiritual nature from God, and we have been made spiritually “new” deep down in our soul … we too need for love to be gentle!
Growing in “newness” is a process. Growing in “newness” (spiritually) takes time.
Just because we have a “new” spiritual nature does not mean we are instantly perfect and holy. There will be “bumps” along the way. And the “bumps” along the way will be painful. It’s part of the process.
There will be others on life’s journey who won’t understand why we are “going so slow.” They will get annoyed at us for “going so slow.” And they will whip around us and make a big scene to let us know we aren’t going “fast enough.”
Love is gentle.
When it comes to our relationships with others in life, love recognizes that they too are growing in “newness” (spiritually-speaking) and that it takes time. Love recognizes that they will have “bumps” along the way. Love is ok with the “bumps.” Love is gentle.
Love recognizes that the “bumps” along the way (spiritually-speaking) are painful. Love has empathy. Love is patient. Love is gentle.
Love protects. Love protects from those who want to whip past, thereby being a danger for the one who needs to “take it slower.” Love is gentle. Love recognizes that in this stage right now, we need to “drive a little bit slower.” And that’s ok.
Love is aware of the pain along the way. Love recognizes the pain on the face, even though not a word is spoken. Love is aware that it feels as if this journey home from the hospital is taking forever! When will we ever get there?? Love is gentle. Love encourages. Love travels the path together.
Growing in “newness” takes time.
We will get there.
I’m here for you. I’m here with you.
Love is gentle.
