The assignment: prayerfully consider and answer these questions, “What part of the body do you think you were created to be? Why? What does it look like for you to live out that role in your daily life?”

This activity was a part of a Bible study that I was doing with an absolutely incredible group of women. At the time, I was one of the younger of the bunch. I was a mom of two kids, barely into the double digit years of marriage, but so grateful to be gleaning with these women of grace, mercy, love, joy, endurance, and perseverance. By my side were women who had raised families, matriarchs of generations, women who had the greatest hacks for managing households, long dedication to careers, and who had experienced trials and joys of many kinds.

When the leader of the group gave out this as the assignment, I never could have imagined the answer that I would end up with. In fact, I thought the assignment was light and would be easy to complete within the midst of daily activities. But as a group we were challenged to take time to really pray through what seemed like a very straight forward question.

Quickly name some parts of the body, what do you think of? Hands, feet, eyes, ears, head and shoulders, knees and toes.

BUT, in my case it was not that easy and my response has stuck with me for many years now. I revisit it fairly often, partially because I am still trying to understand it myself.

I wanted to do this well. These are women who I deeply admire, respect, and there was just a well worked righteousness about them that produces this beautiful nourishing fruit which abundantly blesses those around them. These are the women I want to be when I grow up.

I set out one morning during my quiet time with my Bible and my journal. I would like to say that I came ready to listen to the Lord, but it takes me a bit to get my mind focused. It took a moment to stop myself from humming Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

It took me a whole lot longer to prepare myself to listen than it did for the Lord to respond, because as soon as I asked, “Lord, what body part did You create me to be?” I got an answer.

The pancreas.

What? That can’t be right. Where is my crazy mind wandering to now.

“Lord, which part of the body did You make me to be?”

The pancreas.

So I did hear that right. That’s so weird. And if I am honest, I thought it a bit gross. Whenever I say pancreas I can feel my gag reflex kicking in.

The image in my head is of some squishy obscure internal organ. Which, incidentally, I had absolutely no idea where it was located or what it actually did for the body. My best guess was somewhere in the gut, below the heart & lungs, probably has something to do with digestion.

If you can’t tell by now, I am not in the medical field professionally. I’m the woman who had her eyes closed tightly shut through all of the videos in child birth classes, except the videos about c-sections, I just left the room for those. When I get my blood drawn you will find me with my eyes closed. I can do it, I just can’t watch. But, in the times I have needed to be a caregiver, God’s grace has always gotten me through, eyes open.

What I thought was going to be an easy activity with an answer like, “I’m the hands because I think I have been called to serve others holding and carrying,” had turned into a state of confusion. Not to mention I think I could almost hear God laughing. I can’t seem to keep my facial reactions quiet, so I can only imagine what I looked like to Him in that moment.

I was left thinking, now what?

After asking a few more times. I thought I would just put a pin in this pancreas thing and try again later.

Several attempts later, I was still getting pancreas as an answer. I kept thinking about how embarrassing it was going to be to share this with the women in my group. If I wasn’t the odd duck before, I was certainly going to be now.

I knew I need to learn a little something about the pancreas. Perhaps that would help me. For anyone in the medical profession I ask for immediate forgiveness for how off I may be because even years later my knowledge of the pancreas is still limited, which is why I keep coming back to it.

The pancreas is an organ and a gland, about the size of a banana that sits behind the stomach, but in front of the spine, and is attached to the small intestine. It’s kind of hidden in the back of the abdomen.

It helps with digestion by releasing enzymes to help our bodies process and absorb nutrients. I once read the term pancreatic juices (another gag) to describe the fluid that contains these enzymes Lipase, Protease, and Amylase which break down what we eat. The pancreas also has special cells called Islets of Langerhans which produce Insulin and Glucagon which help regulate blood sugar levels.

Other trails that led from a search on the pancreas related to diabetes, pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer.

This assignment had now thrown me for a loop, had a sharp curve, and a steep drop. I was left asking myself if I write down pancreas as the answer to the first question, how do I complete the rest of the assignment?

I was really tempted to leave it as is. When it was my turn to share, I could simply ask the other ladies, in all their wisdom and experience, to interpret this one for me. But the point of the assignments we were doing was to go directly to the Lord for guidance and revelation.

I began my next quiet time with the Lord by just double checking if it was still pancreas that we were going with. And it was.

“But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” 1 Corinthians 12:18 (NIV)

So why pancreas?

It is hidden and humble. It is an important support system. It does more than one thing to serve a greater process. It provides for regulation and balance, adapting to incoming changes.

Isn’t it amazing how the Lord will respond when asked?!! I remember sitting in humble awe of these few points that I had written down.

What does this look like in my daily life? How do I go out and be a “pancreas” for the body of Christ?

Personal confession, I am a AAA kind of person. I really like Achievement, Accolades, and Affirmation. I like them way too much. Being humble, humility, keeping tabs on my pride takes effort on my part. Being called to be hidden and humble wasn’t going to be easy.

Being a support system, and doing more than one thing to support a greater process. These points resonated with me. In many of my roles in life I have found myself working with those very highly gifted in leadership. It is a place that I love to be, and gives me such a joy. It is however a place that has gotten me into trouble too. If you do a really great job working with leaders, you spend time with a lot of leaders, and you like achievement…well let’s just say that I have found myself in a couple of leadership positions but am not strong in that gifting. Many personal lessons learned in that process…

Regulation. Balance. Adapting for incoming changes. I’m still not really sure about those things. Although, I do know this. Most of the roles I have held in my life have been pretty short. The chapters in my life vary greatly in what faces me each day. There have been times where I wish that I had an intense passion for just one thing that I poured myself into for decades, like being an astronaut or a surgeon or a baker where there was just a more specific focus and visible output.

I have felt, since 2008, that my mission is to encourage with love, passion, and enthusiasm. Encouragement has always seemed a little less clear and concrete than being something like a baker. The effort and results are sure a lot harder to see. I hope I am serving a greater process, but at the same time wishing what I did ended with a nice, tangible, warm loaf of ciabatta bread.

What I have learned about encouragement is that do to it really well, you have to come along side of others through whatever they are processing and walking through. It is also often the case that something is out of whack or out of balance.

In all of my scribbled notes and journaling and prayer, I came to conclude that perhaps encouragement could be like the enzymes from the pancreas the help process what is coming through and help the body absorb those things that are good and needed.

I was still embarrassed to share my response to the group. I did confirm myself as the odd duck, and got a few laughs when I first shared.

Then one of these wise women spoke up and said, “God’s ways are not our ways and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. We’re not given full understanding of why something is or what the scope of its meaning is or even how it’s going to play out in the future. That is where trust in the promises comes in and faith is walked out. So you be the best pancreas you can be because the rest of us need you to.”

Those were powerful words that are making my eyes water today as I type this. It reminds me and centers me when I wander off track, that it is important for me to be obedient to the callings I have received, as odd as they may be. It also gives me something to focus on when there are temptations before me or comparisons within my mind that I want to try to take hold of.

When the lies and deceptions creep in that my role is not very important, or that I wouldn’t be missed if I was gone, or that I would be better off doing other things. I need to be reminded.

Be the best you can be because the rest of us need you to.

“Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.” 1 Corinthians 12:14 (NIV)

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26 (NIV)

We all are unique creations; incredible combinations of talents, gifts, personalities, experiences, and callings. We need each other. We need the many others who do things we can’t even begin to understand because it makes us all better for it.

We need the weird, the ordinary, the unique, the humble & hidden, and those who lead so well in the forefront. And all of those incredible people in the plethora of roles in the medical field for the the work you do, especially for those of us who can’t watch. To the astronauts that inspire us, and the engineers who make that possible, and the scientists who asked the question in the first place. We need those amazing bakers who can take butter and flour and heat and produce something that smells so wonderful and tastes even better.

You don’t just have a part, you have an important part, a very important part. Whatever that part is that you have been given and designed for, no matter how that part adapts for the many changes that circumstances push your way, be the best you can be because the rest of us need you to.

Thank you. Thank you for your obedience to the part you were given. There are so many ways that blessings, benefits, and favor flow out from what you are doing. There are people who don’t even know you or what you do that are better off because you showed up, because you gave out, and because you are who you are. And any time that you find yourself unsure, sit before the Lord. You never know what crazy lesson He will throw your way or revelation He will give you.

Or what silly person who thinks they are a pancreas that the Lord will bring along side you to cheer you on.

Prayer

Beloved Lord, thank You so much for the wondrous ways that You teach and guide us. Thank You for the ways You listen so patiently and attentively. Thank You for the grace that You show when it takes us a while to process what You have said. Thank You as well for the mercy You show when we don’t really listen, but plow forward full steam ahead. Your love is endless and so far beyond our understanding.

Thank You so much for the magnificent variation and specific purposes that You have thoughtfully crafted each of us with. Lord, help us to really trust Your plan and design in faith, especially when we don’t understand, when the future looks so uncertain, and when we humbly need to depend greatly upon others. Lord, You shaped us to work together, to be at our best serving the whole.

Lord, the work we have been given to do can be such a joy when we love the ones we are working for. I ask that You would help us to love those around us in whatever circumstances that we find ourselves in, so that our work may be honoring to You and helpful to all involved. Lord, please bless us all with encouraging glimpses of what a difference we make, help us to spur one another on in times trial and suffering. May we celebrate and rejoice together when one part is honored.

Lord, for all those who read these words, whenever they see them, may You please give them a hug of warm goodness. Please bless them with endurance and perseverance and provisions to be obedient to the parts they were given. In the powerful, creative, holy, and righteous name of Jesus, amen.