WHEN I read First Corinthians 12:12-31, I usually focus on members of a church and how they interact with one another. This time, however, verse eighteen stood out. "But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be."

It reminded me of an elderly woman without physical strength who possessed a quiet spiritual strength that stood the test of time. She encouraged, taught and prayed with a power that could change lives. Even though her body was not "arranged" in such a way that she could throw a touchdown pass or even run, she was able to move mountains of sin out of the lives of others.

God not only gave me life, he purposefully designed my body. What the world labels handicaps or deformities, God saw as good. Where the world sees weakness, God sees meekness. God uses that meekness to reach out to those in need, spiritual and physical. God can use each of us to serve the body of the church. It is up to us to use our God-given talent to glorify Him, no matter what part of the church body we are best suited to become.