There He Goes Again!

By Dr. Gerry Baughman - Founder and Director CAMP BIMI * SMART

“Ouch! Oh! Ugh! Wow! That smarts!” These were a few of the words I heard from the guy lying on the other side of the curtain. We were both having physical therapy - mine following surgery to repair my right rotator cuff. Some people just can’t endure pain. However, pain is a REAL thing, and sometimes, it even hurts! But…pain is necessary in the healing process.

I am the proud owner of nine body scars! I don’t know of a single one that I could say I enjoyed receiving. In each case, I could say that I was glad when it was over. Some of those scars were because of internal problems that needed to be corrected. Others are there because of my, well…you know…foolishness. My mind says I can do anything, but my reflexes don’t think so. A fall in Zambia and there went the left rotator cuff! A fall in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and there went the right one! At least I have a matching pair! A fall in Hungary caused the doctor to grind off the bone shard in my left elbow so it wouldn’t poke through my skin. Last year’s SMART trip was a great one for me…no injuries!

Yes, bumps, bruises, scrapes and scars are all part of our lives. As much as we would like to avoid them, they just seem to happen. Some of us are more blessed than others in this area…you know, we’re accidents waiting to happen. And so it is in our spiritual lives.

Warren Wiersbe wrote a small paperback book some time ago that was recently reprinted. The title is The Bumps Are What You Climb On. Great men in Scripture, as well as more recent history, have achieved great things for God. But as we examine their lives, we will find that each one experienced many adversities to stop them. However, they simply used those bumps on which to climb. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

I used to run the hills when I was a kid. Climbing steep banks in the open coal mines became second nature to me. The smooth ones were the most difficult and I often rolled to the bottom only to try again. And try I did until I made it!

The Lord puts rocks and hills and fences and bumps on your path to test you, your faith, and your endurance. You must decide if you are going to sit down and lean against them or if you are going to climb over them.

Scars heal and bruises eventually go away, but the inward character that the bumps help you build spiritually will stay with you until the Lord comes. Caleb had a few bumps along the way, but at eighty years of age he said, ‘Give me that mountain!’ Read Joshua 14:8, 9, 12.

How are your mountain climbing skills? Do you need a personal trainer? I’m available. Atta way! Up and over…or is it ‘down and out’?