Listen closely to a person in the final stages of life. Their words are filled with wisdom. They don't have time for shallow conversations or mindless television. Their questions reveal what's truly important. I will never forget the last question my dad asked my brother and me before he became incoherent. The doctor prescribed morphine to help comfort him in his final days. He asked, "if I don't have my pain do offer God, what do I have left to offer?"
My brother instinctively knew what to do. He scratched the word morphine off the label and told my dad he was giving him an analgesic. Dad's question still burns in my mind years later. He was determined to give God everything, even his pain. That's what Jesus did for you and for me – He gave us everything, including His own life.
You have choices today about your pain. Maybe you're feeling the loss of a loved one. Or someone close to you hurt you or abandoned you. It's possible the pain is so deep that you try to pretend it's not there, or mask it with booze, drugs or some other crutch. Why not turn your pain into a sacrifice? Offer it up. Ask God to use your pain for His benefit. Give it to Him. Give Him everything. Don't hold back. And never forget the final words Jesus spoke when He turned His pain into the ultimate sacrifice, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing."
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