Recently I substituted for our pastor who was away. God had my attention before I even started to prepare my sermon by letting me suffer some big time pain. I’d like to tell you about it. I wouldn’t have believed this myself if it didn’t happen to me.
“My most recent gift of suffering is some pain I am having in this left hip which has been diagnosed as bursitis which apparently doesn’t go away quickly. Many of you have had bursitis before so you can probably sympathize. Please forgive me if I wince a time or two every time I move….
But you know, God always meets me during these times. He does not waste my suffering and I am grateful for that.
For instance, this most recent attack on my tired body, bursitis, started two weeks ago, I suffered for a week before going to the doctor, hoping it would go away as mysteriously as it came. I probably wasted a lot of that time imagining all sorts of worse things going on. But finally got to the doctor and a diagnosis. Afterward we had to go to Costco, but since I could hardly move without pain, I stayed in the car.
Out of habit, I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through Instagram. Now first let me tell you about Instagram. It is now the most popular social media platform, used more than Facebook. As I have been studying what to do to promote my book I am told that Instagram is the way to go, so I have had to become familiar with it.
Frankly, I don’t like social media, I think it is a total waste of time, and I am not very good at it. Learning about Instagram has been a huge learning curve and I’m not an expert yet, but I am trying. Anyways, it is a little different from Facebook in that the messages are quite short and there are more pictures than actual messages. Some people use it for personal stuff and lots of people use it to promote their businesses.
You scroll like this, kind of like you might scroll through your photos on your phone. You don’t have complete control over what comes up, but the algorithm notices what you like, in my case, Christian messages, positive quotes, dogs, and gardening! And so I get all sorts of pictures and messages along those lines.
It is quite distracting… before you know it you have wasted 15 minutes or more and are none the wiser or better or happier. But for now, waiting in the car for Cliff and in a lot of pain and wondering how long this thing was going to last, Instagram would be a nice distraction. But remember, I think it is a total waste of time.
So… I turn it on and the first thing that pops up are these words. Are you ready?
“It will take as long as it takes.”
“It will take as long as it takes.”
Are you kidding me? Could these words be any more appropriate for me and my problem right that minute? I was surprised, overwhelmed, and humbled, and right away thanked God for showing me I wasn’t forgotten.
And then, in a typical Instagram manner, I kept scrolling. Are you ready for the very next words that popped up?
“If God is making you wait, then wait – he is trying to show you something.”
Really? Could that be more specific? Once again I thanked God for these words of wisdom and scrolled on, thinking that would be the end of it. I mean one message was enough, but two may be just a coincidence.
But wait! There was more!
“You’re not reading this by accident. This is your confirmation that everything’s going to be alright. Your miracle is on its way.”
I was blown away. This sort of thing has never happened to me before. But God had one more message and this was the best kind of all, a scripture, and there it was on my Instagram from 2 Kings 20:5 which says
“I have heard your prayers and seen your tears. I will heal you.” My Bible Tells Me So.
Wow! What a reminder that God was in everything even, IG. What a reminder that he is everywhere, even on Instagram. What a reminder that I’m not right about everything, especially Instagram.”
Well, that is my story! Totally true!
How are you doing today? What’s happening in your life? How are you feeling?
Whatever you are going through, don’t give up. There is hope. There is always hope.
