Rendered Useless

The other night I had a headache that hurt so severely it literally rendered me useless.

Useless!

I HATE feeling useless. Ineffective. Unproductive.

But the pain - the throbbing, determined, blatant pain - just stabbed and protruded way beyond my will and I found myself doing things I don't normally do . . .

Like only being able to read three or four verses of scripture instead of being able to study them and then, going to bed early.

So my only hope was to sleep it off because my headache mocked the weakess of Tylenol and Advil.

But the power of the hope was in the companionship prayer my husband and I have each night.

For as my husband knelt next to me, holding my hand as I lay in worried pain that the headache would overtake my ability to sleep, his prayer of faith encompassed me with peace.

I awoke the next morning ALIVE and well! 

And my headache was GONE!

Which made me think about the story of a certain man who was rendered useless as he fell among thieves.

Men who beat him and stripped him of his clothes and left him half-dead.

As as he lay there, unable to do anything for himself, with capable others passing by, there was one who had compassion and stopped to help.

Binding up his wounds.

Taking care of him.

And rendering him once again useful.

Allowing this certain man to go on his way and doing likewise.

As will I.