"...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
Job 1:21b
Since my last journal entry of April 30th more heavy trials have come...
Job 1:21b
Since my last journal entry of April 30th more heavy trials have come...
This has been a painful adventure!
One morning last week, I awoke from sleep and found my feet horribly swollen. I couldn't walk. I had to crawl to the toilet a few feet away just to urinate. I never felt such pain, and I never felt so helpless. When I went to bed the night before everything was fine. But when I awoke, the feet that were on me looked nothing like the ones I went to sleep with. It turned out to be a bad "gout" attack. I ended up being confined to my cell with a week's bed rest.
I stayed in agonizing, foot throbbing pain, day after day, minute by minute. And I thought that gout was for old people. I'm only forty-seven!
But still, some amazing things happened. During this time of suffering, I got closer to the Lord. Something changed inside me. Even my discomfort became a spiritual event.
In my distress, I continued to cry to the Lord, not with a loud voice, but with pleading whisperings and groans. I was so physically exhausted from this attack, and I had not slept well during the entire week. Yet when God gave me the strength, I was able to read my Bible.
Then just after this gout attack began, the Holy Spirit directed me to begin reading the book of Job. I had read about Job's sufferings many times. But now that I was going through my own trial of pain, the book of Job became more real to me. The Lord also gave me many new insights and much encouragement.
Now a little more than a week later I finally have enough strength to make a journal entry. I am just getting off my week's medical restriction. I am learning how to walk all over again, it seems. For my feet are still swollen and there is still a fair amount of pain. In fact, on the humorous side, some of the guys have been joking with me that I've begun to walk like Frankenstein.
Yet for me this has been a time of spiritual renewal. I had a chance to slow down and get quiet before the Lord instead of my usual pace of always being on the run and always staying busy.
Once again, my loving Savior has worked out these afflictions for my betterment. I am also thanking the Lord for my health. One oftentimes does not realize how very precious good health is until it is gone and sickness comes in.
Now I am in the process of being renewed physically and spiritually. Looking at this in retrospect, I truly needed to be flat on my back for a week. "Thank you, Lord Jesus!"
D.B.
One morning last week, I awoke from sleep and found my feet horribly swollen. I couldn't walk. I had to crawl to the toilet a few feet away just to urinate. I never felt such pain, and I never felt so helpless. When I went to bed the night before everything was fine. But when I awoke, the feet that were on me looked nothing like the ones I went to sleep with. It turned out to be a bad "gout" attack. I ended up being confined to my cell with a week's bed rest.
I stayed in agonizing, foot throbbing pain, day after day, minute by minute. And I thought that gout was for old people. I'm only forty-seven!
But still, some amazing things happened. During this time of suffering, I got closer to the Lord. Something changed inside me. Even my discomfort became a spiritual event.
In my distress, I continued to cry to the Lord, not with a loud voice, but with pleading whisperings and groans. I was so physically exhausted from this attack, and I had not slept well during the entire week. Yet when God gave me the strength, I was able to read my Bible.
Then just after this gout attack began, the Holy Spirit directed me to begin reading the book of Job. I had read about Job's sufferings many times. But now that I was going through my own trial of pain, the book of Job became more real to me. The Lord also gave me many new insights and much encouragement.
Now a little more than a week later I finally have enough strength to make a journal entry. I am just getting off my week's medical restriction. I am learning how to walk all over again, it seems. For my feet are still swollen and there is still a fair amount of pain. In fact, on the humorous side, some of the guys have been joking with me that I've begun to walk like Frankenstein.
Yet for me this has been a time of spiritual renewal. I had a chance to slow down and get quiet before the Lord instead of my usual pace of always being on the run and always staying busy.
Once again, my loving Savior has worked out these afflictions for my betterment. I am also thanking the Lord for my health. One oftentimes does not realize how very precious good health is until it is gone and sickness comes in.
Now I am in the process of being renewed physically and spiritually. Looking at this in retrospect, I truly needed to be flat on my back for a week. "Thank you, Lord Jesus!"
D.B.