Common

From A Place of Healing, J.E. Tada
Grafting for example---wounds must happen [to make grafting work]. Jesus speaks of grafting in John 15:5
⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. You may be going through a time of wounding right now, and, if you are, take heart, because your heart is being set to God's and there is no saving work apart from pain. Your life will have so much fruit from it all--fruit that you probably won't even see or know about.
For those God loves, He grafts

I have watched Dad graft apple trees for years. A dormant, small branch is cut from a tree and often placed in the refrigerator for some time...then, that small, dead looking branch is taken to the tree of choice. A larger branch is stabbed, cut, peeled and otherwise prepared to "hold" the dormant tree branch. Once the dormant branch is in place, it is secured with tape or wrapped rubber bands---anything to limit light and air or too much dampness getting into the branch just grafted into place. 
The rest of the tree may be in full early leaf and bloom...which makes this apparently DEAD piece stand out like it should be chopped off before disease spreads. But in a short time...the leaf buds begin to open and possibly even a flower or two shine with life. The wrapping can be removed to show a scar healed to accept the "new" branch. 
The question in our lives is....do we want to have God graft in things to our lives to make us better for Him--better servants for Him, examples of Him? And do we only let God graft in Himself? Or do we let the Enemy graft in his fullness, or graft in parts of himself? So part of our fruit is good, and part is poison? The Bible is clear that every bad part that does not bear good fruit is only good to be cut and thrown into the fire. So we better be sure what is being grafted onto us is "good" only. What a confusing fruit we must show sometimes...part of us shows God's love, safe and full....and part of the time we show the world the ugliness. It must make God appear to be half good, half not good...and who likes to trust a person who one moment is trustworthy and the next speaks ill of you to everyone he or she comes across. It is so important to watch what you are allowing to be grafted, especially in the hardest of time and sicknesses. Because that is when the World is watching you the most.

You and I may not see with our physical eyes, but it is to being seen....by the hosts of heaven and hell, and perhaps by those saints who have gone before who fill the heavenly grandstands and cheer us on in the race of life. Who knows the results of courage and faithfulness?

This puts me in mind of the old Roman Colosseum games...people placed to battle each other, wild animals. Only in this case, the listening audience is mostly on our side. Only those hosts of hell watch and want to see us suffer the fullest, be mauled by the lion--to show that God does not love us. The cries of the other, larger group want to see us be able to tame the lion with calm words (or possibly stop it altogether), to stop the person attacking us with a sword by offering to be a friend and not an enemy. How they must cheer us on daily as we face whatever difficulty there is; a hard marriage, sickness, difficult co-workers, inability to have children, deaths in the family...it sort of helps thinking that I have an even larger cheering squad in heaven than I have even here. The one here helps me through my pain and nausea...

In the dark, in the night, after 2 in the morning when the pain medication has worn off and sleep has fled, I have faced the stark reality of my life as it is, and asked myself, "How an I go on like this? How can I endure another sleepless night?
I can go on because God moves through time with me. The Lord of the Universe, who lives outside the confines of time, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, who existed before time began---this Jesus feels that living without the use of your legs for 38 years is a long time (Jn 5:2-6).
There have been occasions, I will admit, when I have wondered if God empathized---I mean really understood---how I felt, how I have groaned in my paralyzed body and hurt as each year brought more aches and pains. Doesn't God know how interminable that much time can feel in a wheelchair? Isn't He aware of how endless a sleepless night, shot through with searing pain, can seem?
He who was ever beyond time decided before time to enter time, and experiencing the passing hours and days and years with those He created. And I believe His Holy Spirit "experiences" life with us, moment-by-moment, day by day, turn by turn, sharing our joys and sorrows, counting our tears and whispering reminders of His presence.

Once I became more aware of this sort of idea, that God is with me more than I had ever considered...it made my illness more bearable. That He really does know what He is asking me to face, because, in a way, He is facing it too by the Spirit being with me and knowing first hand the worst I feel and the best I feel. People are busy and need to do other things, and while I am so grateful for the time given me...I am very grateful the King sits with me and never leaves my side due to work, school, other children or whatever. He is always always there...when I even feel too sick to have people with me because I feel so horrible I can't figure out how to talk, and how the littlest sounds make me feel worse than ever (I don't know why this is....), He is there, quiet,making no sounds or additional light to make me feel worse, however slightly. He is there, rejoicing when I feel better, and when I search out company, or sit with my little dog, or sit outside and revel in the Glory He has made. The perfect companion. 
He knows what it must be like to have spent so much time bed ridden, because He was constrained into time by His choice. So yes...my King knows what it is like, and how frustrated I can be. But slowly, slowly...I am getting to where I can manage my disease, more medications make it easier, and I have my King and Father to walk with me. 
Once, long ago when I had bulimia...my father took my hand in his large, calloused hand, and wrapped his older around my thin shoulders. My anxiety made it so I had to keep moving...and normally I walked bent over, my arms clutched around my body in an attempt to hug myself and keep my body from exploding. I fully felt that it was literally falling apart, and that bits were floating away from me...until I would disappear. But my father took up the walk with me. We walked around and around the house...with my stumbling in weakness from weightloss, and while I was still clutching at myself, I did not have to hold myself so hard, because my Daddy was doing so, and he was so much stronger than myself. We were waiting for anxiety medication to work...but before it could work, my bulimia got the better of me. I felt better, but embarrassed because I did not want my Daddy to see me so weak in spirit and heart...even though he already knew I was trying to destroy myself (not even on purpose). He helped clean up my mess, and gathered my broken spirited body back into his arms while we walked a little while longer. Somehow, his walking with me worked better than the medication, and I was able to eat and then go rest. 
If my earthly father was able to make such a change, and "hold me together"....how much stronger can my Father hold my broken spirit together. I cannot imagine or even put into words what He is able to do for me on top of what He has already done. So...now, He is walking side by side, sitting side by side, or holding me as I lay...holding my pieces together.    

For He will deliver the needy who cry out, he afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. Ps 72*12-13.