It seems like each and every day is full of such pain and sickness. Between turning on the television and seeing the starving children all around the world and going to bible study and hearing the numerous accounts of family members with illness, cancer, and suffering, it sometimes feels like evil abounds. And I have a confession to make: after praying and praying for so many loved ones to be "healed" from various things, and watching them continue to suffer, I often have the thought of, "What's the point?" What's the point of our prayers if ultimately God is going to do His thing either way anyway? Truthfully, it just doesn't make sense. Between all the accounts of Jesus healing the sick (Matthew 4:23-24 being a prime example), it can appear that there is a disconnect between what used to occur in biblical times and what happens now. As I was pondering on these thoughts this morning, God brought to my attention (as He is so perfectly timed at doing) a great truth. Jesus did spend His time on earth healing the sick and binding wounds, but He was very purposeful in the where, how, and who. Was it because He had favorites? No. I believe it was because sometimes the ultimate healing comes through the sickness. Think about it. Matthew 10:28 says, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul...". Matthew 26:41 says that our spirits our willing but our bodies are weak. This can only lead us to know that these physical bodies are not the whole to-do. Anyone who has suffered from chronic illness or cancer knows the painful truth that our bodies are weak and can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. On a lesser note, I have walked through this first trimester with sickness day after day. I have prayed to feel better, prayed for energy to get out of bed and make it to work, prayed for some relief from the nausea and exhaustion...and truthfully, it hasn't really let up. As I have prayed, however, something has let up: my desire for things to go "my way". My assumption that I know what's best for my body or, ultimately, my soul. The truth is, this sickness may be my grace for this season. This sickness is God's blessing upon me for now, teaching me perseverance and joy beyond circumstances. And learning to rejoice in the midst of that? A privilege. The truth is, as Christians, our bodies are a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). The beauty of the sacrifice is that by giving up our weak and mortal bodies, we take on His body- the body of our perfect, unblemished Savior- as our very own! And His body, given for us, is EVERLASTING. (Matthew 26:26). Free from sickness. Free from cancer. Free from imperfection. Free from sin. His to ours. No matter what suffering you or your family are walking through, just remember this: He may bring physical healing on this side of eternity, He may choose not to do so. Either way, His promise to us is still clear: our souls are 100% whole and healthy because of Christ, and one day we will be able to understand how finite our physical ailments were in comparison to the glory His body is bringing forth for eternity.
