Intense Moment at the Jordan

Nobody in their right mind likes to suffer. Yet we are each born into a world of suffering. Some of us suffer in body... with defects we are born with, while other diseases catch us by surprise in the prime of life. Some of us suffer in mind, from worries as small as thinking we aren't smart enough to compete in a world where intelligence and credentials matter more than character and hard work... while those with severe mental illnesses are locked away in institutions. And it would seem that all of us suffer in spirit at some point, if not every day.

This is the world Jesus took on and took in. I have to admit the really rough and painful times in my life shaped me to be the person I am today. Some of them bent me, almost broke me, in the process. Yet here I am, with way more trust in God, way more love for those bent people around me, than I ever could have had without that pain. Every insult, ailment, abuse I have survived has brought me to this new day. Ironic and mysterious. On days (like today) when my allergies have kicked me in the pants, and all I want to do is go back to bed and die, I know from experience that this too will pass. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, I'll wake up with a whole new appreciation for breathing deeply.

So Jesus stepped into the river of pain. Dunked completely into the current of life with all its misery, and came up to hear God's voice calling him "Beloved." It had to have been a great way to start his ministry... that voice an anchor, remembered each time he was tempted, insulted, abused, sick or weary.