The other morning I woke up to a very painful right hand. The joint at the base of my thumb was very swollen and I could barely move it. When I did, it was extremely painful. I took some Tylenol during the day, but it didn’t seem to help. That night I didn’t sleep because it hurt so bad. Yesterday morning I went to church while the pain in my hand just increased. I decided I needed a stronger medication, so I stopped on the way home and got some Aleve, which my doctors have recommended in the past. I don’t like to take it as it upsets my stomach. But desperate times… When I got home, I started taking the Aleve, started icing the swollen part, and hunkered down in the recliner. I was glad I was able to sleep better last night. I woke up to a less swollen hand that didn’t hurt as much. I listened to today’s Gospel reading, which was about the man with the withered right hand. When it came to the part where Jesus tells the man to stretch out his hand, I did, and I prayed. There was no immediate miraculous healing. But, since it is feeling a little better today, I do feel confident that it will heal in a short time now. I thought it was a very funny “coincidence” that the reading and the reflection were so personal for such a random thing.

I Found God today in a specific, personal scripture.