Job 36:15(NIV)
“But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.”
Pain is abundant in the world and in our lives. While I do not in any way wish to slap a reason on the things that happen to us, you have to admit that when trouble comes into our lives, it often gives us a perspective that we may have never gained prior to the adversity.
A few years ago, I ended up in the hospital. Having lived with a lung disease that had gone into remission, I began to take this reprieve for granted, and I grew comfortable with my disease. It was sort of like having a dance partner who has no rhythm; after a while, you learn their missteps and adjust your movements accordingly. I was working at a great job and living a good life; I felt I had no reason to change. Except on this particular night, I found myself gasping for air and in great pain.
Consulting with my doctors about the seriousness of what I faced gave me a moment of great pause. Only after I had to take an unplanned retirement did it occur to me that if I wanted another chance, I was going to have to make some drastic changes—changes I would have never considered had my disease not made my life terribly uncomfortable. Thus, the adversity of my illness was the catalyst to saving my life.
Why not look at the afflictions you have found yourself in and listen to the changes they ask of you? Some of our most important lessons in life have come out of the terrible sufferings and inconveniences that cause us to look differently at who we are and what we have.
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