“Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”– Galatians 6:2

I find myself facing the interesting challenge of writing a devotional from a hospital bed today. As I lie here, I thought of all the lessons I’ve taught in the past during trials; I thought about the dangers of prosperity gospel, I thought about His power in our weakness, I thought about pain drawing us closer to the Lord, and many more. But this week God used this hospital bed to teach me a new lesson; how self-centered I become in my trials. All my discussion with the Lord begins to focus on only me and my family.

As I’m here at the neuro unit in Denver, doing some testing for my ongoing neurological issues, I ended up with a room right next to the nurse’s station. Every day, I hear the nurses talk about the other patients. I hear about the man who doesn’t know where he is right now, the lady who is angry and constantly yelling, and the man who keeps begging for more powerful pain medication.  And I also see the mom and her little girl walking around the hallways, knowing they are watching their husband and father suffer. My heart broke. I realized that with all my forced time in bed, instead of just focusing on my own trial, I should be praying for these hurting people around me. I was ashamed of how incredibly self-centered I had become. Brothers and sisters, God is always teaching us in our trials.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon