Think about Joe...

2 Corinthians 12:6 -8 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

It sounds weird now that I’m actually writing it down, but I haven’t been able to focus on anything but my left ring-finger all afternoon. I burnt and blistered myself when I was reaching into the oven for a hot pan. (The price I pay for fresh lemon bars! And my own carelessness.) Boy, has it consistently throbbed, ached, and reminded me of its tender condition ALL day. Even as I type today’s post, I have applied an ice bandage to help draw the burn out. I’m trying to stay focused, but it’s hard to stay focused when we’re in pain isn’t it? Pain, “thorns in the flesh,” and other aches really hurt! That’s a fact. They also distract and can otherwise consume our thoughts until a resolution or healing comes. Have you ever experienced a thorn in the flesh? Ever accidentally stabbed yourself with the thorn of a rosebush? Ouch!

What immediately comes to my mind is the Apostle Paul - he had a thorn in his flesh. We read in the Bible that he prayed three times for the Lord to take it away. There are several interpretations on what Paul was talking about; whether it was of a fleshly temptation, a stubborn adversary, a chronic illness, or something else. No one really knows exactly what Apostle Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, nevertheless, he knew what it was, and it troubled him. As we say in the south, “It just plain ole’ hurt!”  Paul’s “thorn” was real and it really upset him to some degree; it was a pierce in his flesh. The Christian should think what could hurt so much that the Apostle Paul prayed three times for God to remove it. In my opinion, the Apostle Paul must have known that this thorn could only be removed by God Almighty.  So, this was not an ordinary thorn. It was given to Paul by God for a specific purpose.  I don’t believe the Apostle Paul prayed those three prayers solely for himself, but for all Believers who were to come after him; the Christian, and those who are called by God into ministry, we will have a thorn in our flesh, something that we wish in our hearts was not there, and yet, it is that specific thing which keeps us completely humble, and in total submission to the Lord, serving Him entirely. Life Moment: Isn’t it interesting that thorns come with gorgeous flowers such as roses? Thorns do not necessarily come from those things perceived as ugly. The thorn from a beautiful rose hurts just as badly as a thorn from a cactus plant.

I recently read about Joe Townsend – a family man and professional pilot. By the time he became a pilot for a commercial airline, Joe was ‘living the dream’.  He was ‘the man!’ One weekend, Joe was flying his wife, Kelly, and two young daughters, Laura and Tara, home from a family vacation. Shortly after takeoff, their small plane suddenly lost all power. On sudden impact, Joe’s forehead had rammed into the instrument panel. A knob on the panel broke through his skull, damaging the areas of the brain that organizes motor skills and balance. Joe could no longer see or move his arms and legs, but somehow paramedics and ground crews were able to get him out alive.  Joe’s injuries were cataclysmic. His left leg was broken in three places and his right arm was deeply cut from reaching out to shield his daughter. During the crash, Joe’s ankles split separately, separating his feet from his legs. Both his kneecaps were busted, and he had internal injuries from colliding with the steering yoke.
Worse than his own injuries – the loss of his entire family. One daughter had survived shortly after the crash, but soon died during surgery.

Brandon Fletcher recalled that day. “When we have bad calls like that, the first thing that goes through my mind a lot is, ‘God be with them. Help them, but most of all, help us.’ We need all the direction and guidance we can get in situations like that. There was a lot of praying going on that morning.” The next morning, family members confirmed the news. “And that was the worst day of my life,” Joe commented. He also learned that his wife and daughters had already been buried. He never had a chance to say goodbye. “I sobbed so hard,” Joe recalls. “The sobbing was like a knife was in my chest, in my heart, turning. And I finally cried out, ‘Lord, help me! And amazingly, within 30 seconds I had complete peace.” A few days later, he was transferred to St. Mary’s hospital’s rehabilitation program. His vision began coming back and Joe started the daunting task of learning to walk again. “Even as messed up as I was, where I could not do anything for myself, I would never give up,” says Joe. “And I always had hope.”

It's hard to understand how life goes on, but it does. People heal through God's grace. Today, Joe has remarried and has a happy, blessed life. He says he plans to fly a plane again someday. Joe says God gives him the strength to carry on, and that his thorn in the flesh makes him a better person.  “There’s a poem, Footprints in the Sand. I’ve had some tough times and through the adversity that I had to face, I leaned on the Lord to carry me,” says Joe. “And that’s when He was there for me.”

Looking down at the keyboard, I notice my ice is melting – the next time I make lemon bars, I’ll protect my fingers!  Suddenly my burnt finger and my own thorns don’t seem nearly as significant. Think about Joe…

Look UP my friends!