NOVEMBER 6, Philippians 3:20-21

Michelle sighed as she struggled to her feet. “Why do I have to wear these old leg braces?” she thought. “Mom and Dad say I should be thankful that they make it possible for me to walk. I am glad for that, but why didn’t God just make me with good and strong legs like other kids?” Michelle looked at herself in the full-view mirror. “They look funny, too,” she thought. “I hate looking like a robot.” The more she thought about her image, the more she felt like crying.

When Michelle went to the supermarket with her mother that evening, they saw a friend from their church.“Mrs. Tan! Hello! How are you?” Mom greeted the lady. “You moved into an apartment nearby recently, didn’t you? How do you like it here?”

Mrs. Tan laughed. “As a matter of fact, we did not like it very much at all,” she said, shaking her head. “The lift does not work well and we’re tired of the constant dripping in the bathroom sink. The colour of the walls is ugly, and the rent is much too high.”

“That’s too bad,” said Michelle’s mother, “but you sure seem cheerful about it.”

Mrs. Tan grinned. “I guess that’s because it’s not our final home,” she said. “It’s just a place to live in till the renovators are finished with our new house. Every time I feel discouraged because of all that is wrong with the place, I just think of how happy I’ll be in our new home. Then I feel cheerful again.”

That evening, Mom told Michelle’s dad what Mrs.Tan had said. “Good for her!” approved Dad. He grinned. “That’s a good way for Christians to think, too. In fact, the next time my back hurts, I’ll have to remember that my body is just a temporary home. As long as we’re on this earth, we’re all living in temporary housing, but someday we’ll have a new home in heaven and even new bodies.”

“Hey, that’s right,” thought Michelle. “I guess I shouldn’t complain so much about all that’s wrong with me, either.”

Thought: Do you have a health problem that discourages you? Do you become impatient, waiting for it to get better?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for the assurance that though I am in this earthly body which is prone to illness, one day in the future, I will have a glorified body which is perfect and free from all illnesses. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.