Steadfastness

I have a headache this morning. Test after test tells the doctors there is nothing that they can see that causes this pain. It does not mean that the pain is not there, I can testify it surely is here.

I see the evidence of pain all around me. In my heating pads, pillows, essential oils (might as well), pain meds the list goes on. Yet, this doesn’t tell a complete story.

I’m reminded as I shape this narrative for you, this is a bit like faith, isn’t it? People can say there is no God. They can say because he is invisible to our eyes, he cannot exist. OR if he did, the evidence would be all around. And all that is seen is suffering and disunity.

I would beg to differ. I think of my mom having a nasty virus yesterday and how her church family quietly stepped in. Evidence. I think of the beautiful weekend of sunshine and wind. Evidence. I think of community praying for my relief, asking about me, checking in. Evidence.

Our goofy puppy is also evidence to me. I see pictures of last year of my old girl staring out the front window and I cry. Yet, laying right next to me right now is a little bundle of something (lol), snuggled right here. Her greetings at night when I come home, or have gone out to take the trash bring me joy and laughter.

”And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.“
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

In tribulations/suffering, we can still look for evidence. We can find it. I know I can. I was laying here this morning, reminded of the gift of our house, looking down the hallway and knowing this is a gift. The people in this house are a gift. We are messy and chaotic, but a gift nonetheless .

And here is where I come to the word that started this whole post. Tribulation brings about perseverance, steadfastness, endurance. I know I will make it through this pain.

”Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.“
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

I am in training. You are in training.You have pain, may not be like mine, but you do. Over and over, the word of God reminds us to not look at the physical world to find our hope (tho looking, as I have done in this post can bear fruit),we remind ourselves of the unseen all around us. These pains, tho they feel like forever, are not. God is here. The Spirit lives within me. And you,if you believe.

There is hope. I can testify to this. There is hope.