We move on by faith and trust the Comforter . . . the Healer . . . the Provider . . . our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

 

Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who gives tender love. All comfort comes from him. He comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves receive comfort from God. We share very much in the sufferings of Christ. So we also share very much in his comfort. If we are having trouble, it is so that you will be comforted and renewed. If we are comforted, it is so that you will be comforted. Then you will be able to put up with the same suffering we have gone through. Our hope for you remains firm. We know that you suffer just as we do. In the same way, God comforts you just as he comforts us. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

One thing I have learned as a result of a life of sports . . . pain follows you the rest of your life: arthritic knees, worn down and fraying shoulder joints, painful feet, broken blood vessels from numerous pulls, strains, and torn muscles. Shall I go on?

But what I have learned from both sports and the last thirty years as a Christ-follower is that pain keeps me humble. Nothing compares to the pain Jesus endured for me! I cannot go back to my teen years when I cold run, lift, and play forever. Yet I can move forward and live the best and most active life for Christ despite the daily pain.

Like the lessons we have learned from nearly twenty short term mission trips and

even in our ministry with teens and families . . . pain is part of life but Jesus overcomes it all! Not Tylenol, not Advil, not even Motrin or Tyenol-3 . . . not Oxycodone or Hydrocodone . . . not even anesthetics can wipe out the pain sin causes . . . only Jesus!

Yet as we serve other people groups we share their pain and their struggles from hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and economic blight. Yes, we offer items to meet physical needs. We have painted, cleaned, taught, rebuilt, torn down, and even played. We hurt many times when we return because we could not fix everything. In fact, their lives would go on as the dealt with tragedy, poverty, homelessness and illnesses. We could only offer hope.  . . . the hope that is in Jesus! Our lives have been changed and we can never go back to our old ways. 

Every mission trip has changed us. Every person we minister to impacts our lives. despite the pain, the strain, even the bleeding, we move on by faith and trust the Comforter . . . the Healer . . . the Provider . . . our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!