Taking
a deep breath is extremely hard. For the past three days I have been BFF’s with
pneumonia. Pneumonia hasn’t been nice to me. Made it nearly impossible to
preach this previous Sunday. Pneumonia almost took away my voice, has made it
nearly impossible to do anything that requires a little physical effort. It has
kept me from taking a deep breath without coughing out a lung. Pneumonia is not
cool. Even with this sickness holding me back, there is one thought that pops
in my head, so what?
Over
three million people have pneumonia in the United States every year, I am not
that sick. I can’t have a woe is me personality. There are people a lot worse
then me. I can name several people in my congregation that are currently or
have in the past battled cancer. Anyone sick with cancer trumps what I am going
through. Sometimes in life we can fail to look at the big picture and see there
are people a lot worse then us. I look at Paul and what he shares in 2
Corinthians.
Paul
while humble, shared what he went through in chapter 11 some of verse 23-28:
I have worked much harder, been in prison
more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again
and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty
lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with
rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a
night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on
the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger
from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger
in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I
have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger
and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides
everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who
is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly
burn?
What
I have gone through is nothing compared to Paul. Everything I went through in
life is still a smidge or smidge and a half of what Paul went through. I am not
worthy to say I am in the same boat of the pain in my life compared to Paul.
Paul ended this section of scripture talking about how guards were doing to
arrest him inside Damascenes but he was lowered in a basket and was able to
escape. We can’t avoid pain in life.
Everyone
goes through trials. We all have different injuries some mental and some
physical. When you look at the pain in your life, is there someone who has it
worse then you? We have trouble sometimes looking past our own problems. We all
have to deal with pain and trials in life. There is a phrase what doesn’t kill
you makes you stronger, do you believe this?
I
know in the past some of the trials in my life made me appreciate when I saw
the light at the end of the tunnel. You will be tested in life, how are you
going to respond when the going gets tough. I will make it through pneumonia,
Paul survived through several times when he should have died. Jesus was
innocent and yet was put on the cross. What can you do to make it through the
tough times? Who can you trust through the rough times? Know that there is
light at the end of the tunnel.
Have
a great day.
