Out of all human relationships, there is only one that has remained somewhat intact despite the fall.  Can you guess what relationship I’m referring to?  Romantic love and marriage is tainted by selfish ambition and the desire for personal pleasure.  The first murder was caused by sibling rivalry and jealousy.  Friends are quick to betray.  Cousins and uncles have stood on opposite sides of a battlefield and fought each other.  So what human relationship is left?
 
Parents’ unconditional love for their children.​

​God’s ways never seem to make sense in our finite human understanding.  The way of His kingdom is completely opposite of our world and culture.  In His system, the humble are lifted up, the poor made rich, the last made first, and the weak made strong.  Crazy, right?! 
 
But it’s true.  

​Thorns are prickly, sharp, pointy objects that inflict pain on those who brush up against them.  They look menacing and make you think twice about picking a berry or plucking a rose.  Can you imagine getting one lodged deep into your foot or hand?  It would be extremely painful! 
 
Figuratively, Paul had a thorn in the flesh.  It caused him constant pain, but he never complained.  In fact, this is the only place in the entire Bible that we read about it.  Outside of II Corinthians, Paul never mentions it.  But why didn’t Paul tell others about it more often?  Why did he only share this bit of information with the Corinthian church?  Let’s find out!