Cut!

On the movie set of our life, sometimes God calls, “Cut!” He slaps the clapboard to stop the action. This is what happened to me last week. 

No, I was not on a movie set filming a movie, but actually doing something quite mundane when I was injured. At first I didn’t think much about it until the palm of my hand started to fill with blood. I quickly applied pressure to what I quickly realized was a deep cut.

“Cut!”

The clapboard snapped and all the action in my life stopped except the bleeding. God had gotten my attention. I looked at my hand and tried to piece together what had just happened. I was loading the dishwasher and a baking dish slipped out of my hand. It hit another dish and broke in half. As I reached to catch it, I felt a sharp pain. 

“Cut!”

A moment later in the bathroom, it became obvious I needed stitches. As the doctor numbed the palm of my hand, I paused on the movie set of my life to reflect. I was thankful it was on my left hand since I am right-handed. Then I thought about how if the cut was on a different part of my hand or deeper, I might not be able to type—which would hinder my writing. In that moment I became grateful for so many things.

This led me to ponder why it takes an injury for me to be thankful for so many of life’s simple things. Each breath I take, using my fingers to type blog posts or books, the ability of my body to heal a cut, the smell of spring flowers blooming, family and friends—everything in my life at this moment I owe to God. 

“Cut!”

Fortunately I only needed three stitches. As I watched the nurse bandage my hand, I thanked God for the reminder to be grateful in all things. (I also thanked him for the Spiderman bandage the nurse put on the minor cut from the broken dish on my right hand. 😊)

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. – Phillipians 4:11, NASB