I sprained my hand Sunday playing football. To make matters worse, the ball sailed through my grasp into the hands of a speedy linebacker. I didn’t feel the injury until much later, so I didn’t ice it down on take other precautionary measures to reduce the swelling and pain.

Needless to say, I woke up Monday realizing the my left hand is not normally twice the size of my right.

I’ve spent the last couple of days since then realizing the things I take for granted. At first I thought that I’d be okay with limited use of my left hand. After all, I’m more or less right-handed. I write right-handed, but I won’t be able to bowl or shoot pool (both of which I do left-handed). However, I soon discovered that I could not do the following:

Hold groceries and unlock the front door.
Drive and drink a soda.
Open a car door without dropping everything in my arms.
Open a can or bottle.
Walk on the right side of my wife.
Get out of bed without my wife getting out first.
Clap.
Write and drink a cup of coffee.
Swat flies.

In fact, I had to re-learn how to do some simple things. Fortunately, I sprained a ligament close enough to my wrist that I can type. However, I have to think about the ‘e’ key – it’s the one I use the middle finger on my left hand to type.

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.

1 Co 12:22-23ff

I think that there are parts of me that I could do without sometimes. I pray for God to give me strength in weak areas or pray for God to remove a character flaw. Sometimes I wonder why on earth does God allow me to keep dealing with the same things over and over. I rationalize it sometimes by saying that I am not doing enough to overcome. Other times, I tell myself that God is doing this to teach me character. Still other times, I think that God has put these in me so that I will need to rely on Him.

But when I think about my injured left-hand, I remember that the weakest parts of me are indepensable.

In taking an honest look at myself, I realize that one of my biggest weaknesses is accepting limits. I do not accept limits in myself or situations. I am not good at living a balanced life. I am not good at saying ‘no’. I am not able to tell when to take the burdens of others and when to let them bear their own. The last one is especially hard as always taking the burdens of others is usually taken as caring and selflessness. I have learned that it is sometimes my desperate attempt to create peace around me by helping solve the problems of others.

I think of my weakness and greive at how it affects my family and my physical health. I ask God to help me change today, sooner if possible. I do not want to hurt my wife, I do not want to abuse my body.

But then I think that this weakness of mine has put me in more diverse situations and allowed me to meet all kinds of people. I’ve done so much more than an ivory tower intellectual usually does in my life. I’ve loved, lost, and loved again. I’ve moved across the country. I’ve befriended many of different ethnic backgrounds and religions. I’ve been in all kinds of strange jams and seen God get me out of all of them.

None of this would have been possible if I had been perfect in this area. I would have said ‘no’ at the perfect time and had strongly established limits. I would also have fewer stories to tell. A lot fewer.

And so I look at my weak hand and think that maybe I am benefitted by it more often that I think. Maybe God really does work through my weakness – and I can be glad of that.