Death by a thousand cuts. A form of torture and execution
used in China until the beginning of the twentieth century. (Thanks, Google…)
We are all here for a purpose. God has created us to do
certain things, to be certain people, to be conduits for his light and life in
this dark and dying world.
I think it is possible to miss our purpose because of a
focus on the thousand cuts. I am walking my mom home. The important part of the
walk is not what pieces of furniture she can take forward into the smaller
place, nor even the pain of letting go of vestiges of a long life. I need to
resist stressing about the insurance, what it will cover and what it won’t. I
need to let go of the anxiety of anticipating her distress, and focus on the
real future. I don’t want to miss the gift of these moments with Mom, the
blessing of her long life. I want to live the adventure God has called me to
live, with grace and faith and love.
Jesus died a death of a thousand cuts, but he never lost his
focus on his Father and – incredibly – on us. He didn’t let the small cuts
distract him from his main purpose.
