One Teeny Little Toe

I hurt my toe this week. Really Badly. As in, it’s not a pretty picture, all black and blue and bleeding. Gonna lose the nail. See I told you it wasn’t a pretty picture!

I realized this week how much I take that little toe for granted. Until it started hurting, I didn’t realize the impact one little phalange could have on the entire body. (I also didn’t realize how many times a day my feet are stepped on by my kids).

One little toe can inflict pain on my entire body. It can make me limp. It can send throbbing pain throughout my body. It can make me cry.

One teeny little toe

As I reflect on all the harm and discomfort one teeny little toe can cause to an entire body, I do not want to be like that toe. One teeny little action, or word, or broken promise, can inflict deep and lasting pain in the life of another. It can leave them limping along, throbbing in pain.

I must be careful of the words I say and the attitude I portray to my family, for it can have a lasting impact. I’m with my kids all day, every day. As in early in the morning when I don’t feel like getting out of bed, and in the middle of the day when I am yearning for some peace and quiet and at the end of the day when I’m fixing dinner while juggling 3 hungry kids and waiting for Daddy to come home. My facial expression when my husband comes in the door can set the tone for the entire evening. One little glance has the power to make him feel appreciated or on edge.

As one part of the body of Christ and of the body of my family, I want to be intentional that my impact is positive. I don’t want to be noticed because of the pain I inflict. Even small parts can have big impacts, positive or negative.

Romans 12:4-5

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

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Weekend Thoughts:
My posts typically relate funny anecdotes about the happenings here at the circus. While my days are seldom “normal” enough to leave me without a “post worthy” moment, I use my last post of the week to highlight something a little more “thoughtful” and significant. If you had a thoughtful post from this last week, or choose to make a new one, please feel free to add a link in the comments section below. I’d love to hear what you are thinking.