My mom’s best friend from high school and throughout her life is Carol Ann Green. She is now 90 years old and still the vibrant effervescent person she’s always been. One would never know the depth of pain Carol Ann has endured in her life. She has tragically lost three husbands, raised six children, but through it all, for the past thirty years, conducted a retreat ministry that has helped thousands of widows and widowers find victory and healing through loss. Carol Ann has leveraged her pain to help others.
When Jesus heard that His cousin and beloved friend, John the Baptist had been beheaded, “He withdrew by boat to a deserted place in private.” He wanted to be alone to pray and deal with the wound of His heart. “But when the crowds heard about it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:13-14). Then He fed them (verses 15-21). Jesus leveraged His pain to help others. He worked to help others even with a wound in His own heart.
In tropical West Africa there is a berry, when held in the mouth, sweetens the taste of everything one eats. It can turn vinegar into honey. In the 1700s, explorer Chevalier des Marchais spread awareness after observing people eating these berries before downing gruel and sour palm wine. In 1968, scientists isolated the unique protein that turns sour flavors impossibly sweet. They named it miraculin, because its effects are miraculous.
As followers of Jesus, we have something like the miracle berry—a miracle Spirit that empowers us to transform any obstacle into an opportunity, any pain into leverage for healing. We can use everything that comes our way to sweeten our life and the lives of others. The Holy Spirit can give us courage and faith to overcome whatever comes our way. John writes, “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).
It is our faith and courage that can enable us to leverage our pain into gain through caring for others. Leverage your pain through helping others with their pain. For it is in leveraging our pain that we overcome the world.
Pastor Steve
