I spent another few but painful hours in hospital last week. It turned out to be relatively easy to deal with this time and a shot of morphine helped dull the agony. 聽
But these episodes, as unpleasant as they are, always provide me with cause for great gratitude. That gratitude is in response to the excellent care I receive in our local hospital and even more, for the wonderful offers of help and encouragement that I receive from friends and neighbours. 聽
Be assured, then, this is not about whining but rather about praising God for peace. Peace in the midst of pain.聽
Looking around me, both close to home and around the world, I am convinced that the current pandemic is second only to universal pain of every kind. We all know folks who suffer great distress of all kinds: mental, spiritual, emotional, physical and who knows what else. But unlike the pandemic for which there鈥檚 not yet a proven antidote, we can find relief from these other sources of pain. 聽
What am I talking about? I鈥檓 referring to how Jesus suffered with such intensity that it caused him to shed tears of blood even before experiencing the agony of Calvary. Because of His pain on our behalf, we have access to heaven鈥檚 healing.聽
While meditating on this truth, in between all that was going on, I found myself praising God for peace. I knew he was with me and even more, when life finally does end here on earth, I will be with him forever and ever.聽
There鈥檚 so much more I could say but here鈥檚 what Peter said: 鈥淕race and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.鈥澛�
Another benefit: I snuck in a lot of hours of extra sleep and you can鈥檛 beat that.聽
