• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

When somebody else is more "broken" than we are

LovebirdsFlying

My husband drew this cartoon of me.
Christian Forums Staff
Purple Team - Moderator
Site Supporter
Aug 13, 2007
30,633
4,557
61
Washington (the state)
✟1,054,199.00
Country
United States
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
I grew up sometimes hearing the proverb, "I cried because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet." And this is true. We *should* spend less time moaning about what we don't have, and more time being grateful for what we do have.

But....

Does this mean we should neglect our own needs because someone else's needs are greater?

A few weeks ago, I dropped a 35-pound bucket of kitty litter on my foot, and broke my big toe. Since I'm diabetic, it's healing slowly. It was an ugly open fracture, and I had to have antibiotics when it showed signs of getting infected. Now the broken skin is healed, but the broken bone isn't quite. It's still giving me some problems.

Shortly after this happened, a good friend of mine was in a serious motorcycle accident. He has breaks in all four limbs, along with some ribs. One of those breaks is a femur. Another is a humerus. He was hospitalized, but now he's recovering at home. We thank God he's on the mend.

I told him I felt silly talking about my toe, when he had a lot more broken than just a toe. He himself counseled me that just because his injuries are more serious, that doesn't mean I should ignore mine. I need healing too, and I should be taking care of myself.

How often do we take this attitude? "Never mind me, Lord. Take care of him." Guess what? He's big enough to take care of both.

Yes, the man with no shoes should feel grateful he has feet. But it doesn't follow from there that he should be unconcerned about having no shoes. If he doesn't take care of those feet, he could lose them. And then he too would be a man without feet. Would he have a right to feel bad then? Or should he shut up because the next person in line has no hands either?

There is always going to be somebody worse off than we are. We still need to pay attention to our own needs.
 

Dave-W

Welcoming grandchild #7, Arturus Waggoner!
Site Supporter
Jun 18, 2014
30,522
16,853
Maryland - just north of D.C.
Visit site
✟772,040.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Messianic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Good reminder. I grew up with the proverb: "The key to joy is Jesus, Others and then You. "

The problem was the implication was "others" meant everyone else. I am still struggling sometimes with fitting myself and my needs in there somewhere.
 
Upvote 0

joinfree

Well-Known Member
Nov 3, 2016
1,009
191
88
EU
✟36,708.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
I grew up sometimes hearing the proverb, "I cried because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet." And this is true. We *should* spend less time moaning about what we don't have, and more time being grateful for what we do have.

But....

Does this mean we should neglect our own needs because someone else's needs are greater?

A few weeks ago, I dropped a 35-pound bucket of kitty litter on my foot, and broke my big toe. Since I'm diabetic, it's healing slowly. It was an ugly open fracture, and I had to have antibiotics when it showed signs of getting infected. Now the broken skin is healed, but the broken bone isn't quite. It's still giving me some problems.

Shortly after this happened, a good friend of mine was in a serious motorcycle accident. He has breaks in all four limbs, along with some ribs. One of those breaks is a femur. Another is a humerus. He was hospitalized, but now he's recovering at home. We thank God he's on the mend.

I told him I felt silly talking about my toe, when he had a lot more broken than just a toe. He himself counseled me that just because his injuries are more serious, that doesn't mean I should ignore mine. I need healing too, and I should be taking care of myself.

How often do we take this attitude? Never mind me, Lord. Take care of him. Guess what? He's big enough to take care of both.

Yes, the man with no shoes should feel grateful he has feet. But it doesn't follow from there that he should be unconcerned about having no shoes. If he doesn't take care of those feet, he could lose them. And then he too would be a man without feet. Would he have a right to feel bad then? Or should he shut up because the next person in line has no hands either?

There is always going to be somebody worse off than we are. We still need to pay attention to our own needs.
I am sorry, please get well soon.
 
Upvote 0