The Beauty in the Answer

Last week, I was sitting in the waiting room at the Augusta Lifetime Physical Therapy.  I was waiting for my therapist and was minding my own business by playing a game on my phone.  There was a Mother and a little girl sitting in the waiting room.  I guess perhaps they were waiting for a family member to be done with therapy or something.  As I was looking at my phone, I heard the little girl (she had to have been no more than 3 years old) ask her Mom "Mommy what happened to her face?", as she was pointing to me.  Her mom graciously told her not to point or stare and told her that she didn't know and that perhaps my being there at therapy would help me.   My heart was in the middle of sinking and smiling.  I'll explain to you why.  I absolutely loved her Mom's answer. She gave her daughter a simple answer, which she accepted because the Mom didn't know why.  What the Mom said isn't too "far-fetched" because I have had OT/PT for my physical disabilities, but that was really only for after-surgery care (for those of you who are interested in how PT/OT is used on me, let me know and I'll tell you).  My heart was sinking because I wished at that point that I could get OT to help me, but it's not feasible at that time, since at this time I'm too far advanced for OT to help.   The little girl's acceptance in her Mom's answer was beautiful, she went on playing.  She didn't stare; she seemed to understand.  

All of you know who know me know that I was born with my own set of physical problems and conditions that, over the years, I have learned to overcome and accept.  All this means is that I have routine doctors' appointments, scans, testings surgeries, and whatever else needed.  It's been this way since birth.  A little over 10yrs ago, I started to develop other health issues and until recently it has gotten so bad that it has affected in more ways than desired.  The chronic pain is intense and many days gets in the way of daily life and routines.   A few weeks ago, I was in a rear-end collision that caused somewhat of a bad whiplash.  With my chronic pain already in high gear and my head pain/migraines, my neurologist thought it best to put me into physical therapy.   It has been helping but I tell you that whiplash is very painful.  At this point I was thinking to myself "Seriously? Can I deal with any more pain than I already have?"   Every.day.pain. *sigh* I get tired of the pain.   

But......

I'm constantly reminded of His Promises through Scripture or through songs that His love is never ending and that there is hope for tomorrow and that there is HOPE for the END.

Today, my Mom and I visited a dear friend of ours.  She lost her husband just a little over a month ago.  As we were talking and encouraging her, she wanted to talk about Heaven (her husband was a Christian).  She asked "What do you think Heaven looks like and how will it be there?" As my Mom and her spoke and shared their thoughts and used Scripture, I couldn't help but take out my phone's Bible app and go to Revelations 21.  As I sat there reading a loud to her what the description of Heaven was like, my heart was filled with excitement about what to look forward to as well as the joy in the idea of how pain and suffering were to end.  Our friend's husband is no longer suffering or in pain yet rejoicing in the Lord in the Beauty of Heaven.  Ministering to her was in turn a ministry to me--reading Rev 21 to her was in fact reading it to myself as it reminded me the beauty to look forward to: new Heaven; New Earth, our Savior face to face, no more pain, no more sickness, no more cancer, no more tears----just the joy in knowing the Father.