The things that often catches us off our guard is the unexpected. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Have you ever had the experience where something happens in your life and you not only didn’t expect it, but you didn’t want it either because of the pain it caused you.
Now, I write about this out of personal experience because I had such an experience this past week. Early Monday morning, I woke to severe pain over my left kidney.
I didn’t sleep the rest of that night because I had this pain that I would describe as someone continuing to hit me hard in the same place over and over again. By the time everyone else got up in our house that morning, I couldn’t stand it.
This sudden jab of ill health caught me by surprise because I am usually a healthy person. It crippled me to the point where my daughter had to drive me to the Three Hills Hospital.
Upon arrival the doctor in emergency had blood tests done, a urine sample test and a lot of prodding and poking, breathe in breathe out.
Anyway, the doctor suspected a kidney stone. So she sent me on my way with a prescription for Tylonel 3s.
Unfortunately those only did me good for awhile and in time even they could not hold back the constant pounding pain which soon spread from my kidney to my side then down the front.
A few days later with no relief in sight, I made another trip to the hospital. Fortunately this time, I think the doctor on call found a solution that will work. He informed me of what to expect and gave me a new medication that he promised would help to deal with this stone in my kidney.
As I went through the assault of a kidney stone, I began to realize that how I will come through all of this depends on my attitude.
And not only that, it depends on where my attention is focused. Too often when the expected jumps out of the shadows and surprises us our immediate attention is turned inward on ourselves.
We’re consumed by “our” pain, by “our” unfair circumstance. But what I chose to do during this unexpected pain in my life was to focus on God.
I chose to remember that no matter how things may look, God is someone who always keeps His promises.
The Bible say that God’s love is steadfast love, it’s always there, it never comes to an end. A love that never fails.
Hard to imagine, isn’t it? I have a feeling that it’s this kind of love you are looking for. A love that always has your back, that is always there for you. All you have to do is ask.
And on top of this, the Bible reminds us that God knows how we feel. When you turn to Jesus for help, He runs to you with help. Because He knows how you feel, He’s been there.
Need strength? He promises to supply. Need comfort?
He will put His arms around you and holds you if you will ask Him to.
When the unexpected catches you by surprise, trust His love and ask Him to help you handle the pain and to help you come out on the other side even better than you were before this unexpected calamity came your way.
This column is submitted by Tri-Community Baptist Church in Beiseker.
