PAIN?

Yes.  But what kind of pain?  Physical?  Emotional?  Relational?  Spiritual?

I have stage #4 endometriosis.  Pain is part of my daily life, physically speaking.  I can't remember the last day I didn't take pain medication.  But that's okay with me.  I will not pity party, or at least not for long, I will choose to stop the mental "woe is me".  I refuse.  I will accept my diagnosis, I will educate myself about my reality.  But, more than that; I will hold onto HOPE.

What is an anchor of HOPE to hold to?  Well..... people disappoint, move, and fail, stuff breaks, or a newer better one comes along, bodies break and hurt, and get sick, entertainment fizzles, and disappoints, substances run out, or loose their effect and you go looking for the next big thing, money and fame only feed a desire for more which still leave you empty.....  Encouraged yet?  Aaarrrrggg.....  Sad, but true.  This is not a new phenomenon, Solomon tells us all about this in Ecclesiastes.

But even though this world offers absolutely nil as far as security goes, that is a good thing.  It is designed that way by and intentional God.  He designed the creation to be enjoyed, to serve a purpose, but not to be worshiped or to be relied on.  That role belongs to HIM alone.

Yes, I have pain, and surely you have some kind of pain in your life too.  But compared to so many around the world my pain is minimal.  My HOPE is HUGE!!!!  I know the God of the universe, I know His soul deep HOPE, and pain or not I will sink my anchor into Him, a security nothing else offers.

"....have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.  We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope...." Hebrews 6:18b, 19a, see whole chapter here

I need to look to the One who is not bound by time, sees the bigger picture, has the Master plans.  But how? I mean step that out for me.... Well, 1. Pray. 2. Read His truth. 3. Repeat, often.  Overly simple? Yep.  But I need simple.  I just need to do it, over and over and over.  The wealth and riches, and knowledge of knowing God never gets old, or boring for a true follower of Christ. I will never fully understand God and His ways, and that is kinda the point.  I need the One that gets me inside and out and backwards, and I need to understand His place, and mine, and then just accept that and tell others too.

I don't know where my medical health is going to take this body of mine.  I know what the books say, what the doctors' can predict.  That's okay, because they could be wrong.  And I know for certain that God's in control, has a really rockin' plan, and heaven is for 100% sure where I am going.  So, one foot in front of the other, with an anchor steadfast in the Lord; I will be here today.  Uncertain, but certain.  Resolved to be His; whatever He chooses for me.  I'm actually stoked to find out what that is.   One day at a time.