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Have a Troubling Thorn?Chaplain Suzanne Leahy, MAR, CTCA/Eastern Regional Medical Center
Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Cor. 12:8-10 Yesterday I walked (barefoot) outside to get something out of my car, when suddenly I felt a shrieking pain in the arch of my right foot! The pain startled me and caused me to hop around a bit, but, eventually, I looked down to see a splinter sticking out of my foot! I immediately yanked at it until it was out, and the pain stopped. Sweet relief! That tiny splinter made me remember a sermon by Dr. Jeffrey Black based on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 about the Apostle Paul and that disturbing thorn in his flesh. Being a normal human, Paul asked God to take the thorn away, but for some reason known only to him, God did not remove it. Not only that, God said the thorn was a good thing, because it allowed God’s power to be displayed through Paul’s weakness. When we think of the hard things of life from God’s perspective and in light of His purposes, we find courage and strength to persevere with hope and even joy! He promises never to leave us when we walk in the valleys but to stay close. Even though we’d prefer to have the thorn removed, God may have other plans to show us who He is in ways that couldn’t happen without the thorn. That splinter in my foot doesn’t come anywhere near what cancer patients face most every day. Today, your thorn may be another dose of chemo, another clump of hair on the floor, watching your loved one struggle with disease or trying to figure out how to cope with your friend’s recent diagnosis. How will you deal with your thorn? In his sermon, Dr. Jeffrey Black said, “Believe that the thorn is serving His purpose and allow him to draw close to you in the midst of that.” There is hope and, yes, even joy, in knowing He is present. |
