Suffering
I have taken off as much as I could so far this week, but it has been hospital time for several of our folks, so I went to see them. It is not one of my favorite things to do, but I want to go show my support and pray for them in person. It is hard for me to see those I love suffer. I don't mind it when it is me. I can endure the pain and try to let the Lord teach me through it all. However, when I see others suffer, my heart goes out to them. It is a helpless feeling, since I can't personally take away the pain.
The one thing that lifts me up is to enter a hospital room to encourage a friend and to have them encourage me instead. I can't count the times this has happened over the years. They can't lift their head up, but they lift my heart by their love and strength. What a testimony.
Also, it is a great joy to stand by the bed and share the love of Jesus with a person who is very ill and to see them trust Christ as Lord and Savior. I remember one time years ago that I had to pick up the plastic of the oxygen tent to talk to a man. I asked him if he knew for sure he would go to heaven. He said he was not sure, so I told Him how to surrender to Christ as Lord and put His trust in Him who died for his sins. He stopped and prayed right there. What a joy!
Suffering is difficult, but it is our opportunity to really depend on Jesus and to rest in Him. When we do, we show Jesus to all who are around us. In fact, it is our time to show that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.(Philippians 4:13)
Tomorrow, I intend to read Revelation 18-20.
The one thing that lifts me up is to enter a hospital room to encourage a friend and to have them encourage me instead. I can't count the times this has happened over the years. They can't lift their head up, but they lift my heart by their love and strength. What a testimony.
Also, it is a great joy to stand by the bed and share the love of Jesus with a person who is very ill and to see them trust Christ as Lord and Savior. I remember one time years ago that I had to pick up the plastic of the oxygen tent to talk to a man. I asked him if he knew for sure he would go to heaven. He said he was not sure, so I told Him how to surrender to Christ as Lord and put His trust in Him who died for his sins. He stopped and prayed right there. What a joy!
Suffering is difficult, but it is our opportunity to really depend on Jesus and to rest in Him. When we do, we show Jesus to all who are around us. In fact, it is our time to show that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.(Philippians 4:13)
Tomorrow, I intend to read Revelation 18-20.