Light and momentary afflictions

Wednesday, May 15, I underwent knee replacement surgery to restore an old injury from 20 years ago. Even though I got to keep 98% of the knee (not you grandfather's knee replacement) the pain and discomfort of the recovery have been MOST unpleasant. As a pastor I have stood bedside with many who have had restorative surgeries such as this and all I will say is my compassion ratio for them has advanced exponentially.

For the first two weeks the Physical "Terrorists" have made HouseCalls since I am currently on a walker (no pictures will EVER be posted). These folk have been very professional and kind and yet they have been firm and unyielding about my daily "exercise" routine". (It is of course why I use the word "terrorist") But seriously, without these painful and challenging exercises and therapeutic manipulations, I would likely never walk again with a normal gait. The old expression is true, "no pain, no gain."

Now if I could wax spiritual for just a moment (What did you expect, really??) I have been thinking a lot about this passage from the Great Apostle from his second letter to the Corinthian Church (4: 14-16), “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

There it is for our instruction. All afflictions no matter how painful are light and momentary, but they are achieving for us and in us something of far greater and eternal value. The key to enduring these trials is found at the punctuation point of the verse, "keep your eyes on the prize" (my not very good paraphrase). The things we cannot experience with our senses are the only things in the final analysis that really matter.

By the way, The Holy Spirit is the BEST therapist ever!