Contrary to my expectations, the first three days of recovery were extremely painful.
Not long ago, I had eye surgery. When I called the surgeon to ask if the pain was normal, he informed me it was common. I just had to wait out the healing process. Now this may come as a surprise, but I hate to wait.
But the discomfort I felt paled in comparison to the grief and emotional pain the followers of Jesus felt. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. I was intrigued when I came across this often overlooked verse. With all they had seen and with all the fears swirling about them, they chose to wait and to rest.
When we have been through pain and feel the pressure to do something, the fastest way to heal is simply to wait on God. If we will trust Him, He will quietly knit back together what has been wounded and scarred.
Ask God to help you remember He is preparing you for what can come only by waiting for the miracle of the third day.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Peter Caligiuri has served as a volunteer chaplain for more than twenty years at Allied Skilled Nursing and as a lay pastor for NCF church in Taylor, Pennsylvania, for sixteen years. Recently, he and his wife Nancy retired and moved to Florida. Together, they have two sons, six grandsons, and one granddaughter. Peter writes regularly for his blog and has self-published several titles related to nursing home ministry, as well as some collections of devotional readings.