Suffering

Last week I went to my small group Bible study. We're reading Hebrews right now, and last week we were on chapters nine and ten. I was especially impressed by verse 34 of chapter ten; it says: "For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one." I like this verse because it's so easy to become cynical and to complain about every little thing. It can be rather enjoyable, actually. But if these Christians were able to accept joyfully large things like having their belongings taken away, how can I feel justified in all my complaints? It's true, heaven is going to be so much better than this earth; problems here really aren't worth worrying about. "For I consider that the suffeirings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be reavealed to us." (Romans 8:18)

Then, on Sunday our "Legacy Series" (it's on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph; to help our church understand the Old Testament that much better) made it to Genesis 22, where Abraham obeys God and offers Isaac as a sacrifice -- or almost does, before God stops him. Our pastor talked about how this was a test of Abraham's faith, but not a test to give God new information -- He already knew what Abraham's response would be. This was a test for the benefit of the student. Much like tests in school which help students to study and learn, this test helped Abraham to grow in his faith. J.T. (our pastor) had begun the sermon by asking us to think of the hardest test we've ever faced in our lives. He concluded by telling us that he was praying for us as a church, that the tests we had thought of earlier would pale in comparison to the tests we would live through now. He admitted that this is kind of a "mean" prayer, but said that that's how much he cares for our growth. I have a feeling my life is about to get more dramatic! Already since Sunday I've learned that some symptoms I've had for a while (my stomach hurts when I'm tired, I get nauseous fairly easily when I'm hungry, etc.) may be an indication of problems with my blood sugar. Also on Monday I developed a temperature over 100, and my throat (and nose, too, for that matter) persisted in feeling like I'd just thrown up. Not much of a test, really, but perhaps God is warming me up. After all, if I can't even get sick without whining and complaining, why would He give me anything harder to deal with?

On that note, Fox annoys me. They canceled a pretty good show, Tru Calling, at the worst possible moment. And, of course, they had already canceled Firefly -- a very good show. I'm not complaining. I'm just stating facts. (=