Did you miss me? Did you think I had abandoned my Times family and readers? Sorry for the time away, but I’ve had some health concerns that kept me from typing and other productive tasks due to serious pain in my arms, shoulders, and neck. It’s not totally gone, but I’m in some treatments that are helping, so I figured it was time to get back to “The Gospel According to Jimmy.” And, to you.
I got frustrated one day and even tried the “speech-to-text” feature for WORD on my laptop, but that was quite an epic fail. Apparently, I’m not coordinated enough to speak these writings while seeing them appear on the screen, because I would be reading what I was saying…then I would be saying it again….and it was typing it again … until I just had a grand mess on my document. So, I decided it best to wait until both hands were (at least) slightly usable.
God has been better than I deserve these past few months. He has sent doctors, nurses, and staff that were compassionate and diligent about diagnosing many things. Then, they were constantly in discussion with me about treatment options and explained them all clearly and let me decide what I felt was best.
These have truly been one of the storms of life period. I’ve written and talked a lot about how God stands close when we go through these times, but it has truly become a reality. There were nights when the house was quiet and dark and I could not sleep because of pain and my mind spinning on all the worst case scenarios and I wondered where God was. Back in the 1970’s, I wrote a song that started off with “If you are real, God, be real to me.” That was my cry many times.
God’s response was not always immediate. There was not always an instant calm and pain free moment, but over time … little by little … He began to help my mind and anxieties. I also believe that God began the lessening of painful symptoms by His mercy and by directing me to the correct medical personnel.
We all face storms where we see no end. Health issues (big and small), job issues and loss, financial problems, family problems, emotional distress like anxiety and depression, church problems, and so many others concerns. We tend to pray for relief, but in the beginning our prayers may not be the priority in our lives. I’ve learned about the consistency of prayer during these storms and upheavals. We are told in the scripture to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) and that is what we must do. I don’t think we have to be literally on our knees and verbalizing 24/7, but I believe when we have concerns, we should be in a state of prayer constantly…without ceasing. God honors the prayers of His people.
And the same applies when we have friends going through struggles. Pray without ceasing for them. I’ve had two friends these past couple weeks who have lost loved ones. They have been constantly on my mind and in my prayers as they deal with the loss and grief. Even though they are assured of their eternity with God, the earthly pain is still real. And we need to pray.
Well, this may have been a bit more rambling than usual, but it’s taking me awhile to get back into the swing of things. For those who follow me on Facebook, I appreciate your comments and encouragements during these past few months. And, I especially appreciate my Henry County Times family for allowing me a “health sabbatical” and allowing me to come back. And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.
