My friend and pastor par excellence, James Conley, was at his pastoral best, responding to my Life is Tough blog of a few days ago:

Brother Bob, you can always find hope in the trials of suffering. I hope that I can grow up to be like you someday. These physical bodies are only warrantied for 70 or perhaps 80 years.

Your willingness to persevere through with an aging body is inspiring. The Lord is your keeper, sustainer through each circumstance. He can be trusted to be with us!

THANKS BE TO GOD, Shalom!

Thank you, James. When I mentioned to another pastor that I felt like our warranties had run out when we turned 70 (two knee replacements and a rotator cuff repair, not counting this year’s challenges), he said, “To be replaced by a lifetime warranty.” That’s a good word, too.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1.3, 4, ESV)

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4.16 – 18, ESV)