“No suffering for the present time seems joyful but grievous; nevertheless, afterward….it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11).
“And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 3:12).
I hated the pain at the time, Lord.
It’s no fun hurting, lying awake at night hoping for sleep that will not come, wishing for relief and seeing none on the horizon. At those times I knew why some turn to drink or drugs or worse, but that issue was settled decades ago, Lord, that I would not be bypassing, shortcutting, or tranquilizing whatever you send me in this life.
Remember that time back in the 1960s when a few unhappy people were stirring up matters in your church, saying that I was pushing integration and was going to destroy their church? Remember that? I do too. Oh, how I do. That was no fun.
As though it were their church. That’s a laugh. They’re long off the scene and Your church is still there. And integrated, too, I imagine. (smiley-face goes here)
Remember the time they spread the rumor that my wife and I were divorced and that there was deceit in my background, and I didn’t find out about it until it had circled the earth for a solid year? That was painful, too.
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