Emotional Wheelbarrow

“And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy. Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”

Mark 2:1-5

King James Version

Yesterday, satan did his best to discourage and defeat me as he attacked me with vicious, poisonous and crippling arrows of doubts and lies. The attack lasted for eighteen hours. I was already in a lot of pain from my arthritis and when he attacked me emotionally, I couldn’t do anything.

I couldn’t pray and I couldn’t read my Bible. I needed someone to put me in an emotional wheelbarrow and take me to Jesus and then stay with me until the pain went away. I think if we will be honest with ourselves, all of us have needed an emotional wheelbarrow at times in our lives.

Joyce Landorf Heatherley, a Christian speaker and author, said on one of her teaching tapes “I have pain that wipes out my caring ability and if I make it through, it’s going to have to be because of you”. I have never met Joyce but we have emailed each other through the years.

I consider her to be a dear friend because God used her teaching tapes to literally save my life three times. I am so grateful to God that she was obedient and recorded her teachings. If God has given you a talent, and you do not give these talents back to Jesus and let Him use them in the lives of others, you are breaking His heart. God may use a sermon you preach, a song you write or sing, a devotion or a book you write or anything else that He has given you to do to stop someone from committing suicide.

It all comes back to our level of love for Jesus. It is so true that the level of our service for Jesus depends on our level of love for Him. Yes, it will mean shutting off the television set, getting out of our comfort zones and doing things that may be inconvenient for us and not in our schedules.

The man who was sick of the palsy had four friends who cared about him so much that they tore up the roof so they could get him to Jesus. The question every Christian needs to ask himself or herself is “Do I care about people and do I love Jesus enough to get out of my comfort zone and do things that may be inconvenient for me and not in my schedule”?

Are you willing to take people who are lonely, hurting and who desperately need to know that someone loves them to Jesus? However, it’s not enough to take them to Jesus; we must stay with them until the pain goes away. You may be the one who needs someone to take you to Jesus some day.

If you are not a loving caring person, it is doubtful that people will get out of their comfort zones for you. It is so true that we get back what we give out. We must put our loved ones and friends in an emotional wheelbarrow, take them to Jesus and then stay with them until the pain goes away.

Joanne Lowe