So I took Yvan to her physical therapist this afternoon and was waiting for her in the Lobby. Next to me is a lady in her 80s, humming to herself some little catchy tune. Her therapist comes out and greets her and asks her how she is doing? “A few more sessions and I’ll dance a jig” and she shuffles/dances down the hall to her appointment.

Out comes another therapist and calls out a name and this woman in her 40s comes out from behind her tabloid and the first words out of the lady’s mouth are “What are you smiling about?” No matter how the therapist attempted to cheer her patient the patient refused to be cheered and told the therapist to be quiet and lets get this over with. I could see that the therapist was taken aback by the rebuke as the middle aged woman stomped off down the hall.

So I stepped up and took the therapist arm and she turned and looked me in the eye and I could see tears beginning to well up. “It is not your fault,” I whispered, “you did nothing wrong. Do not own the rebuke. Her anger came here with her. It is the fruit of unforgiveness.”

A smile flickered across her face and the whisper of “Thanks” escaped her lips and off she went to deal with her patient.

In Romans 15 it says that we who are strong need to bear with the scruples of those who are weak, but sometimes we need to come along side our brethren who are dealing with the weak for the words of the weak are pointed and poisoned. Like the therapist these words can find the gaps in the armor and prove deadly. We then who are stronger then need to step up and strengthen our brethren and sisters to and minister the oil needed to affect healing and release encouragement.