Faith Through the Journey

In these days as I undergo tests and treatment for both Crohn’s Disease and cancer, I’m glad for the distractions of life–out of town travel with my husband, visits with my children and grandchildren, plans that go beyond the next test or doctor’s appointment.

However, there are those reality moments, like when we’re still trying to find the right dose of medication that relieves the pain and discomfort of Crohn’s without a host of side effects. As I’m forced to stop because I can’t do anything else, I’m discouraged and wonder how something can stop me in my tracks the way this crummy disease does! I’m tempted to wonder why God allows this, why I still deal with this affliction.

As I was reading my Bible last week, something stood out to me in a new way. In John 17:4, Jesus says “I glorified You (the Father) on earth by completing down to the last detail what You assigned Me to do.” At the time of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, He didn’t fix everything that was wrong on earth. He healed many people, performed miracles, blessed children and told mankind the truth about our sin and need for a Savior to take care of that sin. But there was still so much evil, sickness and death in the world. So how could Jesus say that He did exactly what His Father sent Him to do when the world was still a mess?

Perhaps it’s because what His FATHER sent Him to do was different that what everyone else expected Him to do. They wanted Jesus to fix this world, right all wrongs, heal everyone who was sick, and make sure that nothing bad ever happened again. But He didn’t come to fix this world–He came to make a way for us to enter HIS PERFECT HOME. This world is a mess because of our choice to go our own way instead of being obedient to God, yet He still loves us and wants us to know and love Him. Only by knowing Jesus will we ever get to enter that perfect world He has waiting for us. Romans 3:26 says it this way: “He (God) got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where He always wanted us to be. And He did it by means of Jesus Christ.” 

So on these days when I have to have barium for breakfast and may not be ready to take on the world for awhile, I can take comfort in the fact that THIS IS NOT ALL THERE IS!! Because Jesus did complete the work His Father sent Him to do, I have much to look forward to: an eternity without Crohn’s Disease, cancer, everything else that is imperfect. A perfect world is promised to us who trust the finished work of Jesus as our admission to heaven. I can only imagine how wonderful that will be! I’m SO glad this is not all there is!!!