Could illness and pain hold greater purpose than we imagine?

God has graciously sewn laughter into our days, bright moments tucked among the shadows of illness and pain, and while those moments don't change our circumstances, they can lessen our pain and shift our hearts toward joy.

Often when we seek comfort, what we long for is healing. If God removed the pain, frustration, discomfort or illness each time we sought His comfort, would we be drawn to Him out of love or simply opportunity?

Pushing our pain aside...diminishes our human experience.

Maybe it's less about what we can do than about how much we can love. More about walking with others through the pain than seeking a solution for the pain. Maybe presence is our greater purpose.

In the midst of pain, we begin to understand the price Jesus paid for our salvation.