pain into joy

               John 16:21-24   " It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. ²² So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. ²³ At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. ²⁴ You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

I watched my three children being born.  With the medicine that we have now, it was not nearly as painful for my wife as it would have been many years ago.  The preliminary pain (before the medicine was delivered) was enough for me and I was just watching.  I can only imagine what the pain is like.  Probably the closest I have experienced is a ruptured disc.  My first disc problem had me in constant pain.  I finally got well enough for a chiropractor to work on me.  My first visit I spent about an hour there.  I came home and was just angry.  The pain was no better and I had spent the money and time to go.  Then something happened.

I was home for probably an hour and all of a sudden I felt relief.  An half hour later I was completely without pain.  I laughed.  And I laughed.  I laughed until I went to bed that night.  The release from the pain and the oppression that the pain brought with it had been taken away.  The times that we are living in at the moment may be painful, but since Jesus came back from the grave, we can ask the Father, in Jesus name, and He will grant our request.  Then we will laugh with abundant joy.---be blessed---c