A few years ago I woke up with unimaginable pain
in my lower back. The pain was so intense that I couldn't even stand up. Now, I
do like to sleep, but believe me, not twenty-four hours a day! Doctors could
only prescribe heavy pain killers, and my daily visits to the chiropractor
hardly made a difference. I'm ashamed to say that I wasn't the most pleasant
person to be around those first few days, as I made sure that everyone around me
knew about my misery!
Over time, I slowly began to be able to sit again, but only for short periods of
time, and only when sitting on a doughnut-shaped cushion. Most of the time
though, I was flat on my back. After three weeks off work, I was little better,
but I felt like I needed to return to my classroom. As I was unable to sit, I
brought in garden pads for my knees. When I got tired of standing, I would
simply kneel down to continue my lesson. This was quite humbling in front of 30
hormone-filled teenagers! "I told you my teacher was weird! He is now down on
his knees, begging us to learn our multiplication tables!"
At the end of the week, as I was doing my hall duty, my vice-principal stopped
me in my tracks. "You are walking like an energy-deprived old man that has
arteriosclerosis in his back!"
It was true. Because the lower-back pain was so intense, I had started walking
around like the hunchback of Notre Dame. But what was I to do? I decided to try
some of my off-colored humor with her: "That's what happens when you teach
teenagers!"
"Go home!" She said.
I guess she did not like my humor!
I returned home that afternoon and was off for another three weeks. In the
meantime, the chiropractor recommended that I go to a massage therapist, and
under his care my back began to improve in leaps and bounds.
Throughout all of this, I had been praying fervently for healing all of the
time; but instead of healing I received the following message: "My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12:9 NIV)
I really didn't like that answer at first, believe me; but when I was finally
able to let God replace my self-pity and complaining with an attitude of "Teach
me Lord!", the doors of Heaven swung wide open. While laying on my back for
those numerous days, I had a delightful time conversing with my Best Friend. Boy
did He teach me those weeks! And boy, did I learn that illnesses can be used to
God's glory! In fact, I can honestly say that those were the best weeks of my
later years! Can you believe it? And why would this be? Because God had my full
attention and He blessed me with His presence!
Illnesses can be painful, but with the right focus they can become a real
blessing as well! "Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so
you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and
honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will
begin to sense his grace." (Matt 6:6 The Message)
And no matter what, one day we all will be healed when we walk the golden
streets with Jesus! So why worry of our temporary discomforts? Our future is
guaranteed! Nothing can move us!
P. S. Are you noticing any pain anywhere? Maybe God is trying to get your
attention!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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