(Please note that this story happened many years ago…)
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NRSV)
“I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NRSV)
It was a long month and more for me — and probably longer for those around me!
A sudden fall on my 39th wedding anniversary changed my life. (Sorry Jeanne — it wasn’t the day that we had planned!) I think that I adapted rather well to the immediate changes imposed by breaking a few bones in my wrist. It was a challenge to put on pants and do more private things. Sermons took much longer to prepare, but they were probably a bit shorter and more concise —which might have pleased more than a few!
Then out of nowhere, the doctor said that it would be best to start over. It’s not the kind of news that you want to hear when you think you’re on the right track toward a healthier future, but it must be done. So, two weeks after the accident, I walked out of the pulpit and into a johnnie shirt and onto a surgical table (all within an hour!) to start over.
That’s the parable for today. It’s not easy to start over, even when it is for the health of the body. We do not always know what the outcome will be, but when we trust God, we are assured that we remain in God’s care and keeping. The Lord tells us through the prophet Jeremiah, “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11 GNT)
“A sunrise is God’s way of saying, ‘Let’s start again.'” – Todd Stocker
Pray with me: God, give me the courage to start over this day. Give me the assurance that You will be with me whatever comes my way. Give me the strength to do whatever needs to be done this day to be doing Your will. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Kenn Stright
West Petpeswick, Nova Scotia, Canada
Republished from PresbyCan with Author’s permission.