The Thorn in My Shoe

2 Corinthians 12:6-9 

Thorns are on my mind this morning.  The weather has cooled a bit - at least in the mornings - and I have been trying to get in an early morning walk on my days off. This morning was a perfect one for a brisk walk through the neighborhood. About two blocks into my walk I began to notice a little "something" bothering the bottom of my right foot. It wasn't painful, but it was sharp and I was aware of it. I guessed I had something in my shoe. It couldn't have been very large, because it didn't constantly stick me. I didn't feel it with each step and every time I would decide to stop and shake out my shoe, the tiny thorn stick stopped!

I couldn't help but think of Paul's letter to the Corinthians as I walked. I decided to keep my shoe on and reflect upon God's sufficient grace and my weaknesses. I don't know how much my life is a boast for Christ's power, but I do know I have plenty of thorns! I guess that's an indication of God's confidence in my ability to honor Him and His Son once I acknowledge those thorns and turn to God for my strength and endurance!

God doesn't want us to be weak. He just wants us to depend upon Him. If we are puffing ourselves up and feeling like we've got everything pretty well under control, God's going to allow a thorn in our lives-not to knock us down, but to lift us up-to Him. He wants us to lean on Him, to depend upon Him, to trust Him and His grace.

"Thorns?" you ask. Yes, thorns. Besides my early morning "thorny" reflection, I've been intimate with some thorns in my yard. We have several rose bushes that yield the most incredibly beautiful roses of quite unique colors. The rose bushes were planted long ago and had gone several years without tending. They became overgrown and woody and very thorny. It was not until we pruned them back that we began to see new growth and lovely the roses.

If we allow the thorns to overtake us, our lives will not yield the "fruit" - the beautiful flowers. The thorns in my life are too numerous to list, but I will share a few: self-pity, self-reliance, worshipping idols, pride . . . okay . . . that's enough already!! In other words, I spend too much time feeling sorry for myself - why I cannot say! I have a blessed life! I try to wrest control of my life from God's capable hands on a daily, if not hourly, basis. I turn to food instead of God when I am tired, stressed or sad. I forget the world does NOT revolve around me far too often.

What are your thorns? Don't whine about them. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Don't let them sidetrack you or distract you. Those thorns are a blessing from a God who loves you way too much to leave you to your own resources! He allows the thorns to remind us to turn to Him - run to Him. He'll prune back those thorns and allow us to yield sweet, abundant fruit for His kingdom. So . . . boast of your thorns as a sign of how very God loves you and desires you to be fruitful!

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