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Trying to figure out the new mandolin food slicer on my own was a mistake. So was disregarding the food holder. Instead, I held the potato with my fingers as I moved it over and over the sharp blade. I felt the pain before I saw the blood.

At that point, dinner was not among my many thoughts. I looked at my thumb and decided I’d need more than a Band-Aid. I had a butterfly bandage, but the injury seemed larger. I really couldn’t tell because the bleeding wouldn’t stop. I drove to urgent care to see if I needed stitches. It was decided that stitches weren’t necessary, the small area where a piece of my thumb was sliced off finally stopped bleeding, and I was given a tetanus shot.

In all of my thoughts and discussions with the doctor, never did the idea of cutting off my thumb come up. Had I done that, I would have caused a far greater injury. Keeping my thumb connected to my body allowed healing to take place. Platelets started to clot the blood, fibrin formed a net to hold the clot in place, blood vessels opened to bring fresh nutrients and oxygen to the wound, and white blood cells began to engulf bacteria. All of these parts of the body were brought together to bring healing. All of this happened because my thumb stayed attached to my body.

In much the same way, I’m learning that when I suffer emotionally, isolating myself and cutting myself off from those who could help is not the wise choice. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul referred to the Christian church as the body of Christ – individual members with diverse gifts united to function as one.

When I least want to deal with an issue is when I need to stay connected to the body of Christ the most. The severity of the injury determines the level of help sought, but I believe God has given people different gifts and talents that bring healing to us all. Don’t try to figure everything out on your own.

 

 

Ronny Michel can be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.