Never Disappointed
|
For the past week, I have been incapacitated, laid up, out of commission, and in severe pain. I have a pinched nerve in my lower back, and the pain goes down my thigh and settles around my knee. I have had an injection and been given two different high-powered medicines to take. Nothing helps! I keep reminding myself that patience is a virtue.
And today, I am in desperate need of virtue.
It is amazing to me that when you are unable to function normally and are forced to lie down for hours at a time, God communicates with you in different ways.
And, of course, you—being in that condition—are more or less forced to “listen.” He may bring to your mind the many ways He has helped you in the past—the things He helped you overcome and the knowledge that He is with you through thick and thin.
He reminds you of the devotion of your family members who are concerned with your welfare. Then, you remember that nothing happens of which God is unaware.
He cares for each of us and will see us through.
Yes, sometimes we are forced to slow down.
And when we do, God can work on us in ways He could not before.
Now painful, yet joyous, lessons come to our minds that build character, bring strength, and renew hope. Past opportunities to share Jesus that we have missed become inspirations for the future. Even though your body might be in pain, your mind is energized with hope and determination that, in the time left, God will still work through you.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29, NIV). Even if today is filled with pain, try to think about it as a gift you have been given—twenty-four hours to spend with the Creator of all things! Time to refresh and contemplate all He has done for you. Hours to contemplate all the ways He will enable you to grow in Him.
During our darkest hours, we think of Him and find hope—a hope that never disappoints.
Grace A. Keene
