Article 1, Volume 9
Sickness Come in So Many Ways
I have been blessed to walk this earth for more than 75 years. There has not been a day, that I can recall when I was unable to get out of bed and move around nor has there been a day when I absolutely had to use a walking cane or some other instrument for to get around. I don't know about tomorrow or the future. I am thankful to God for the blessing.
Through **13 years of elementary and high school, I don't believe I missed more than 7 days of school. I remember the times when most of my siblings had chicken pox or measles and it just passed me by, though I was in the household with them and didn't do anything special to avoid getting sick.
I was a home delivery paperboy of a weekly newspaper for 11 years. My route required walking about 3 miles to deliver, and hope to get paid in some cases, papers at least once a week. Sometimes, I had go back the next day or during the week to collect .15 cents or in some cases maybe .30 or .45 cents owed me. I earned .05 cents for each paper sold at .15 cents per paper.
Looking back, although I was sick sometimes, I never missed a week delivering newspapers.
During the whole period mentioned above, I was in Sunday School and morning church services at Pleasant Union Baptist in Suffolk, Virginia virtually every Sunday. I did not have to wait for anybody to pick me up or go with me to church. I just walked.
I believe my faithfulness in attending church and sharing God's Word with others, was a reason, in part, all of the other blessings, I mentioned above, were bestowed upon me.
Despite all that I write, in my lifetime I have seen people incur a lot of suffering in homes, hospitals, churches, on the job and many more places. We pray for them and ask if we can help, in most cases they probably say No or whatever you do will be helpful.
If a person is sick and has been unable to really work for a few weeks, you should probably figure he or she need some help. How much? It may be $3,000 or $300 or $50. It is hard for them to express what they really need, so they leave it up to you to offer what you can or is willing to offer.( Read chapter 42 of the book of Job)
I have witnessed my wife endure a lot of pain and multiple operations through the years. Sometimes she could barely move. But through God's grace and blessings she can still get up and about.
Recently I spent 10 days in the hospital. It was the first time in over 75 years of living, that I had to spend time as a patient in a hospital. Until after my admittance, I did not have a first hand sense of being sick. I could identify with sickness through empathy I felt in discussions or talking with others who were sick.
My illness, in part, is dealing with a foot matter that may have roots going back more than 40 years.
Now I have a better sense of the pain my wife experience every day, the visible suffering church members and people from all walks of life endure. Sometimes they do not talk about it, because that can bring more pain. However, in some cases the reverse is true.
Nevertheless, we just don't know until we have a first hand experience. We can have empathy for others, but we just don't know.
Being sick does not mean that you are down and out and unable to do anything. Sickness comes in so many ways. It can be any part of the human body. The pain can be so sever that it will stop you as much as any major sickness. Therefore, we must seek help for the small as well as the big pains or injuries. Because untreated, the small also can have a devastating affect on our lives.
Pray, eat well, exercise, and don't take anything for granted, because life is a journey full of challenges.
Are you really prepared for the journey?
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**I was a slow learner, so I had to repeat the kindergarten/first grade combined class.
The next two grades, I virtually memorized all the class material. Repeating was good,
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Copyright 2018. Grady E. Bryant, Sr. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: The news and views expressed on this site are strictly those of Grady Bryant,obtained from information made available to the general public through bulletins, public events, announcements, and services that were open to the general public. This website is not officially endorsed by Warner Baptist Church.
