Understanding

Yesterday, a typical sweltering May afternoon in Florida (ironic, considering the snow in this picture), I started my car to get the air conditioning going. I went inside and hefted my 16-pound baby in his carseat. Back outside, I snapped the seat into its base.

Then I realized I still needed to lock the house. And my house key was attached to my car key, which was currently in the ignition. I opened the front passenger-side door and leaned across to turn off the car. I backed out quickly… and nailed the top of my head on the door frame.

I was frustrated with my immediate headache as I locked the house and proceeded to do my Walmart grocery shopping. I began to notice suspicious symptoms… a continued headache, slight nausea, sudden fatigue, and mild dizziness.

When I got back home and unloaded the groceries, my ears began ringing. I looked up concussion symptoms online and texted my husband. He confirmed that I probably did have a concussion.

Under normal circumstances, this would not have caused me to freak out. But there’s a back story. My husband grew up playing football and sustained several concussions throughout the years. In December 2008, just before I moved down to be near him while we were engaged, he got two more concussions – one from a minor car accident, and one from doing the same thing I had just done… banging his head on the roof of his car.

The cumulative effect of all these concussions led to a condition called post-concussion syndrome, which is basically a concussion that takes longer than average to heal. He has experienced lingering symptoms for over a year now. They were very intense in the beginning and interfered with his day-to-day activities… he even went to the E.R. as he tried to figure out what was wrong with him.

His symptoms have gotten gradually better but are still not completely gone – and it’s been a year and a half since the initial impacts! This gave us some unique challenges during our engagement and first year of marriage!

So I am a tad paranoid of anything happening to his head. And mine by extension.

But I noticed something interesting as A.J. texted me that afternoon and in his concern for me when he got home from work… in the questions he asked, the reassurance he gave me, and the understanding he offered. He completely understood. He had experienced my infirmity to a greater extent than I would!

In spite of my paranoia, it was comforting to know that he had been there, and he knew.

And that reminded me of this verse about Jesus:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

In the struggle against sin, Jesus knows. He knows far more than I ever could… because He never gave in. He faced every temptation… but He withstood them all. He suffered far more than I could ever imagine. He conquered every sin, and then He died for every sin He never committed!

Verse 15 is followed by that famous verse about prayer: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Since Jesus is abundantly able to sympathize… since He has been tempted in every respect but is without sin… let us draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, knowing that He understands, knowing that He has mercy for us in our time of need!

Just as A.J. was fully able to sympathize with me in my head injury, because he had experienced it to a much fuller extent… in the same way, my Lord God is mightily able to sympathize with me in my struggles and temptations, because He came to earth and underwent the same thing.

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