Monday, August 18, 2008

Thorn in the Flesh

Some of you already know...I've had a backache for going on 2 weeks. It's worse in the early morning and gets a little more bearable as the day progresses. Sunday morning....WOW!!! I would like to have a video of me getting dressed...it might be funny a year from now!!! It took me forever just to get my shoes on. We got up with the intention of going to Sunday school and "preaching" as we called it growing up....then, I decided that maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to try to sit still that long, so we would just to go "big church", as Jess used to call it (Sunday school was "little church"...I still think that is just so cute)...okay...back to topic....long story short, Pappy ended up going by himself, and I got on the heating pad.



Here are my thoughts on my backache. It has slowed me down....a lot!!! I tried to walk one morning last week and I was praying....and I really felt like He was trying to tell me He could use even my backache for His glory. Remember Paul had a "thorn in the flesh", and in Corinthians 12:6-8, it tells where he asked God to take it away...but God chose not to....we don't know what Paul's ailment was, because the Bible doesn't tell us...but Paul did say that he feels like it was given to him to keep him from thinking too highly of himself....to keep himself humble...to keep him grounded in the Lord. I think my backache is to slow me down...not just physically, but emotionally...and spiritually. I'm not saying that God gave me the backache...but I am saying that it can be used for and by Him. It has made me stop and listen....you have a lot of time to think when you aren't rushing here and there trying to get too much accomplished in one day. I've had time to get a few things done here that I've been putting off...things that didn't require too much bending and stooping!!! And, I've had more time to just listen...listen to music...listen to others who call just needing a listening ear...just to listen to God. I missed church so much...I missed my Sunday school class and the "preaching" and the fellowship and seeing all of my wonderful Christian friends!!! But...I spent a day doing what I feel God wanted me to do. I prayed...I read...I spent time with Pappy....I slept....I rested!!!

Then....in the late evening....God answered a prayer for me...not concerning my back, but something else that I had taken to Him earlier in the day.
Ain't God good?!?!?

In His love...and with mine!!!

2 comments:

  1. Sometimes we just need to brought to our lower level and then there Christ is to lift you up. He did not leave we just put HIM on the shelf sometimes and forget HE is still there. Yes, we need to keep humble for HIM so HE can continue to use us for HIS glory. You know we are left us this earth for HIM and not for our benefit.
    Think of NOAH when people thought he was crazy with all this flood talk. Then when the flood came the people realized Noah was not crazy but it was to late for them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't like it when you hurt, but to see you give even the hurt to God for His Glory...is wonderful. He slowed you down so that He could have a day with you! You didn't need to be in church to be in His presence...their may have been distractions yesterday that would have kept your mind on the distraction and not on God. Love you bunches!
    Mis

    ReplyDelete

Kind words are like honey—
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Proverbs 16:24