"I've had a headache for 30 straight minutes. I'm worried I have a brain tumor. I'm thinking of calling the doctor and telling him I want an MRI."
"Cayson is only saying 12 words, but the chart at the pediatrician's office said he should be saying 15 by now. Do you think he's developmentally delayed?"
"I told Wes we need to get someone to help Erica with her cartwheel. Quick! She can't start cheer with a wobbly cartwheel."
OK. So I'm exaggerating a little. 😆 But the truth is--those things we worry about, those things we lose sleep over, those things that seem like HUGE trials to us this side of heaven are huge to us at the time. We all have different backgrounds, different tolerance levels and different personalities. We go through different stages of life and different periods of growth. It's all relative.
My problems are, no doubt, light and momentary to the cancer patient. Or the homeless person. Or to my sister and sister-in-law--both of whom experienced life-altering events this past year. Everyday, they wake up to face loss. (I couldn’t blame either one of them for wanting to toss a sandal at Paul if he was standing in front of her.)
But wherever life has us, we all carry burdens. And they are heavy. We know we are supposed to give our burdens to Jesus, but we often function as though we have spiritual amnesia. We forget. We need others to remind us. A lot.
My husband and I recently had dinner with a lovely couple who are strong believers. The young wife was practically waving her arms in our faces. "Yoo hoo! Hello!!! Is anybody listening? I need more support here!"
I appreciated her honesty and persistence. It isn't just a "nicety" to encourage other Christians in their walk; it's a command. We all have days we need to hear someone say, “Hey, I know it’s tough right now. Don’t give up. God is faithful. Remember what is says in his Word."
Paul wasn't minimizing our troubles when he called them light and momentary. He wasn't making light of suffering. He wasn't a stranger to persecution. Not only did he suffer a "thorn in the flesh", he suffered severe beatings, imprisonment and (most likely) a martyr's death. He understood grief.
What Paul was doing was reminding us of the bigger picture: trials serve a purpose; they make us more like Jesus. That perseverance we now lack? It is developed through hard times (James 1:3-4). And while God is conforming us us his image, he is also preparing our future. This world is not our home. The frustrations, the trouble, the pain we endure this side of heaven are temporary. But the joy awaiting us on the other side? It's better than the worst day we can imagine here.
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." I Corinthians 2:9
Amen. What a promise! Remind someone not to forget.
