Perspective

This morning I needed to have routine bloodwork done. My doctor orders it every year because of my family history of diabetes. I now have a nice black and blue mark on my arm where the phlebotomist stuck me with the needle.

Just as I was about to complain, it occurred to me that my dad has to endure needles three times a week. He is on dialysis for kidney failure that was caused by his diabetes. And I realized it's all a matter of perspective.

Seeing what my dad has gone through recently has been a struggle for me. My dad is one of the most godly people I know, and he has committed his life to serving Christ. I have seen his faithfulness through tough times, and his life has been a shining example of what it means to have an undivided heart.

That's why it has been hard to watch this physical battle taking place. My dad was always strong and athletic, and now he often doesn't even have the strength to play with his grandchildren. I don't understand why someone who is fully devoted to following Christ has to go through something like this. It doesn't seem fair.

I've never heard my dad say those words: "it's not fair." He knows God has a plan for his life, and he trusts God to do what's best. More importantly, he stays focused on Christ, and when your eyes are on the cross it puts everything in the proper perspective.

If I was to be honest about what is fair, then I would have to admit that I don't even deserve to be here right now. Romans 6:23 tells me that the wages of sin is death, and that means I have earned death more times than I can count. What's not fair is that Jesus took that death - the death I deserve - upon himself when he hung on the cross. And he did it willingly, because he loves me so much he wanted me to share in his inheritance as a child of God!

Suddenly, anything I might have to endure or watch one of my loved ones endure on this earth seems pretty small. It's only because of Jesus that I'm even alive, and for that I'm eternally grateful!