Thorns to Wound and Heal

September 16, 2026September 16, 2026 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Rereading this Scripture today, I was struck differently by Paul’s words than I have read them before…

Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He says here that God gave him a thorn in the flesh in order to keep him humble. It caused me to question my own heart and ask, How often do I pray that God would take away a hardship, a trial, or even a personality flaw that I find to be such a weakness?

Immediately following the scripture, Paul says that God’s grace is sufficient for us, and that His power is made perfect in our weaknesses. Paul then says, that because of this, he will glory in his own weaknesses. He says that, although he has much to boast about, he will not boast in those things, but rather boast about his weaknesses, so that Christ’s power will be revealed and His glory would be known.

How often do we take pride in our own abilities, our skills, our talents, and our strengths that make us “look good” to those around us? How often do we boast about the success we have achieved, the good deeds we have done, or the great strength we believe we have?

We never want our weaknesses exposed for the world to see. No. We’d rather they see the picture-perfect life we choose to present.

Yet. Paul said he’d glory in his weakness so that Jesus’ strength might be revealed through it…

This isn’t the first time I’ve read this. Not was it the first time I’ve thought more about it or even taught it to someone else through discipleship.

But it might be the first time it’s truly awakening something within me…

I believe I will be thankful for that thorn in my flesh. Even when it makes me bleed, and I pray to God He’d take it from me.

For His glory, I’ll praise Him in spite of it.

What is your thorn in the flesh?

Wounded Warrior

September 2, 2026September 3, 2026 / The WheatandTares

You walk out the door just as quickly as you can, but everyone longs to say hello.

They want to give an update, express a need, ask a question because after all, you’re suppose to obtain them and always seem to care.

Yet all you want to do is get out of sight, out of mind, out of earshot, to let the tears fall.

That one sentence. That one image.

Brought back all the pain, all the turmoil, all the brokenness that you work so hard to hide.

Most days, you don’t even think about it anymore.

It’s been so long now. The memory has faded for so many. It’s almost as if it didn’t happen.

If they all forget, is it now just a made up event in your mind? Not many know the whole truth anyway.

Would it make a difference? No. Not really.

It’s not their story to know. Some of it’s not even yours to repeat.

So, you walk a little slower to appear engaged. You smile and answer the request as needed and cast a caring look their way.

It’s not their fault you were triggered. They had no idea. The knife was invisible. And they don’t deserve for you to wield it.

But it still pierced. It still made you bleed.

So, you turn and resist the urge to run. You resist the compulsion to loose it right there in the parking lot.

You hold it all in and let the tears flow freely once darkness of night has shadowed you from view.

And that’s when He walks in. That’s when He does His best work.

He lifts you from the ashes and dries your rosy cheeks. He holds you close and reminds you Whose you are.

And then, He shines your armor and picks up your sword.

And offers you to join Him for the battle once more…

…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Psalm 30:5

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:3-4

Grief’s Lament

August 13, 2026August 13, 2026 / The WheatandTares / 8 Comments

What do you do when facing grief?

Do you weep uncontrollably and inconsolably?

Do you grow angry and jealous of those who don’t seem to be affected?

Do you dive into the bottle, the drugs, the prescriptions, anything that will bring relief and simultaneously self destruction?

Do you recede into yourself daring anyone to knock on the wall you’ve built to shield?

Do you quietly reflect, never sharing an inner thought, always brooding, always bracing for the next?

Do you remove yourself from your present day and time and settle into memories of the past, sealing the vault to enter into more?

Maybe you do none of these.

Maybe you do all but at different times.

Recently, it seems I have walked beside so many experiencing this event that one day will, someway, somehow, affect all of us, and it caused me to stop and ponder for a moment.

What do you do when facing grief?

Truthfully, those of us with understanding, knowledge, and even experience with the “Five Stages of Grief,” we can give cliche answers and sound like the most brilliant human beings in the room. We can pontificate on the granduers of psychological pain, suffering, and sorrow. We can present thesis upon thesis on how one should react compared to the case studies of those who were deemed “grieving all wrong.”

But there is no formula to grief.

Oh, how I wish there were!

How I long for a formulaic answer to the mother, who asks, “Why did my son die?” How my heart aches for a well spoken response to the wife who says, “How will I ever live without him?” How my mind races for a piece of comfort to give when the father says, “I would’ve rather have taken her place.”

A studied and proven method would be so much easier to present in these moments of horror and torment. An eloquent quote, a ritualistic prayer, a methodical chant that could wash away the brokenness that remains, these would be like a healing balm both to their soul and mine. How soothing it would be to offer a word that could create the chasm as if there were no remnant of the devastation.

Yet, that is not how grief shows up nor how it makes its exit … if it actually has an exit.

No.

Grief is unexpected, unpredictable, and unwanted…and even truly, unexplainable.

The only thing that has been found a constant in the pain is that He is there. The only name that has stayed stable throughout is Jesus. The only One who has sustained all the shattered dreams and wrecked lives is the One who created our very soul.

And I can’t even tell you how He does it. But He does.

He is faithful and true. And He promises to abide. He promises to stay beside you in the midnight hours. He cannot lie. He is bound by His words of truth. And He will come and dwell. If you’ll but open the door of your heart.

And let Him in.

He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:3-4

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1