CARRIED OR CARRIER?

"And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic carried by four men." Mark 2:3 (ESV)


On June 1, the Satisfied Mind's wife fell at home, breaking her right (dominant) forearm in several places. Apart from the obvious physical discomfort, it has forced us to readjust our lives and assume different roles in a manner hitherto not imagined. Without the ability to use her right hand/arm, my wife has had to depend on me for many things - i.e., driving, dressing, paying bills, house cleaning, flossing (yes, 2 people can floss the other's teeth!), cooking (not too much - our thanks to many dear friends!) - tasks that we don't give a second thought to otherwise. This has been difficult and humbling for her; indeed, she is one of the most independent people I know and a servant to others without being asked. Most of us would rather not have to ask help for anything, and this epitomizes her heart.

It has been humbling and difficult for me as well, but in a totally different manner. It's hard to watch someone you love struggling emotionally, physically, and spiritually. As strange as it may sound, my wife's trials have sharpened my focus and helped me learn to minister to her in these three areas. Before the accident, I had asked God to help me love my wife the way Christ loves His church. Little did I realize the means by which He would teach me! Although I am nowhere close to the husband I ought to be, day by day I am gaining new insights as to the nature of Christ's own sacrificial love for His bride.

From the beginning, my wife and I have been thinking about God's purposes in this. One day, the story of the paralytic in Mark 2 came to my mind. As I meditated upon this story, two simple but powerful images came to mind: First, a paralytic lying helpless upon a makeshift gurney; Second, four strong, faithful, and loving friends carrying him to Jesus.

Like my wife, the paralytic did not choose to be in such a predicament. No doubt he had asked "why me?" countless times. I am certain he experienced despair and depression as he watched life pass him by day by day by day - envisioning a future without hope. We must remember that bodily infirmities can affect the heart and soul as well. Added to all this was the humiliation of being totally dependent upon others for even the simplest and most basic necessities of life. He was a man who had no choice but to submit his will and his body to another's care and keeping.

While little is known about this man, we read that he had four wonderful friends who were willing to do whatever was necessary to bring him to Jesus for healing. They were willing not only to carry him, but also willing to tear a hole in someone's roof to lower him down to Jesus. They didn't think of themselves, but thought only of their friend's greatest needs and brought him to the one they knew who could fulfill those needs. It was their faith - their love in action - that Christ saw, and the one who was carried to Him for bodily restoration walked away with a new heart and the promise of a new body - "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2).

What the Lord has taught me through this story and my family's current experience is that we may have to carry our friends - literally or figuratively - or that our friends may need to carry us. Perhaps we will need to "open a hole" in a roof, a wall -- a little "deconstruction" -- for our friends or family. My wife has had several friends "carry" her the last month, and they have been a tremendous blessing to us both. I'm not so sure that allowing others to carry us isn't the hardest of the two to learn, but it is something that we as Christians must learn if we are to be more like Christ. May God give us the grace to carry and be carried.