What to do when your shoulder cries on you

 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Proverbs 15:1

    My right shoulder may open the door to a new career in meteorology.  Last night it predicted the frosty 32 degree morning waiting to greet us.  Aching, heavy arm!  The grumpy thing was disagreebly difficult to adjust to a comfortable position and I needed sleep or we'd all be grumpy tomorrow.  

     I reached for the heating pad, put it on low, wrapped the area as best I could (shoulders are bendy, you know) and waited. Sure enough, the warmth seeped in and through and it wasn't long before my shoulder and I were relaxing, content and sleepy again.

     If I had ignored the pain my whole body, mind and spirit would have suffered.   

     I wish I were as adept at picking up on people-pain as I am body-pain.  My ears interpret grumpiness, discontent, and discomfort as signals to step back or to lash back (at least inwardly).  What I see as irritating, distancing and difficult, God wants to use to train me in compassion. He prefers I respond by wrapping and soothing instead of ignoring or exacerbating the pain - even if the person is bendy and difficult to cover with love.

"Love is patient. Love is kind.

It does not want what belongs to others.

It does not brag. It is not proud.

It is not rude.

It does not look out for its own interests.

It does not easily become angry.

It does not keep track of other people’s wrongs."

1 Corinthians 13:3-5

Father, thank You for Your patience with us when we're out of sorts and act just plain weird! Lord, Your loving-kindness and mercy never end - yet Your children can be rather stingy and conditional with it.  Please fill us with so much we can't hold it back from each other - especially within the body of Christ with other believers. Help us care enough to take the time to see through each other's weirdness and to wrap, soothe and warm, just as You do for us.