
Why not?
It was a chilly winter morning in Jerusalem, and Peter woke up feeling miserable. His body ached, his head throbbed, and his throat was sore. He had come down with a bad cold, and he knew he would have to spend the day in bed.
As he lay under the blankets, Peter couldn't help but think about how he would normally react to being sick. He would often feel grumpy, irritable, and frustrated, unable to do the things he loved.
But today he felt different.
As Peter thought about his Savior, Jesus Christ, as he saw the vivid picture of Jesus ascending into heaven, he felt a deep sense of peace and joy wash over him. He remembered the times Jesus had healed him, the times He had comforted him, and the times He had forgiven him.
Peter's heart swelled with gratitude and love for Jesus, and he felt a sense of exultation.
And just as another bout of coughing racked his body, and his wife came running into the room, Peter smiled.
“What are you smiling about dear Peter?” she asked.
Peter smiled again as he realized that even in the midst of sickness and discomfort, he could still experience joy and peace.
“It’s just this old body of mine reacting to the weather!” said Peter to her, “But my soul is alive and well! All our bodies will fall sick, grow old, or even get disabled, but our joy should be in our souls which are healed and whole!”
She marvelled as he laughed out loud with a happiness, she knew he felt inside.
As the day went on, Peter's cold only got worse, but his spirit remained strong. He spent the day feeling the presence of God with him every step of the way.
As the sun began to set, Peter's friends, John and James, came to visit him. They found him smiling, despite his sickness, and though they were amazed by his joy and peace, they knew they felt the same when physical ailments attacked them.
They laughed and joked with him, about the times they had spent with their Master. They watched as a neighbour came enquiring about Peter’s health, "How can you be so happy when you're feeling so sick?" his neighbour a non-believer asked him.
Peter smiled and said, "I'm not happy because of my circumstances, but because of my Savior. Jesus gives me joy and peace, even during sickness and discomfort."
His neighbour left Peter's house, inspired by his faith and his joy. He realized that true happiness and peace comes not from physical health or comfort, but from a healed soul knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
There are many of us who are not well this Christmas, do you wake up grumpy and stay so the whole day or is this a wonderful time to tell people, “It is well with my soul..!” ?
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and author. He blogs at www.bobsbanter.com and can be reached at bobsbanter@gmail.com