1 Thessalonians: 5:16-18, Ephesians 5:20, Philippians 4:6-7

Mike Davies considers how to walk through unexpected suffering.

Mike Davies
Mike Davies

At the beginning of the year I ponder how things will be different by the end of the year. Sometimes it is hard to judge if we have altered at all within a 12 month period but when you can look back over five or even 10 years you will identify significant change. So, we must assume that there must have been a change within each of the 12 months.

For many of us, we just presume one week will be comparable to the next, unless we have a special event such as a holiday or a birthday; but by and large a new week follows on week by week.

For me, 2012 has been quite unusual and undoubtedly a year to remember for a variety of reasons.

If I had to sum up most of my days in one word I would say, 'busy'. However, God does not want us to be busy for the sake of it. He wants us to have time to worship and to be thankful.

I spend a lot of my day travelling and a lot of time in the car. I generally manage to drive between five and six thousand miles a month, so I am very dependent on my car and my ability to drive.

In January I was asked to visit the Scottish Western Isles, which I did amid some horrendous storms. While on the island of Barra, my right eye became exceptionally itchy. I ended up seeking advice from a pharmacist hoping he would provide me with some eye drops. I actually ended up being sent to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and then onto another hospital. It took around three months to sort out my eye problem. During that time I would constantly be asked, 'What's wrong with your eye?'

In May, I was elected Mayor of our Town, which is of course a great honour. One of my first tasks was to welcome the Olympic Torch into the town. It came to us on Day 3 so there was still a lot of national media and I found myself being interviewed on national television. Then we had the Jubilee Celebrations and our town, like most towns and villages in the UK, had a great party in our main park. Then the Olympics! What a great year 2012 would turn out to be.

On one particular Sunday afternoon, our church held a Treasure Hunt. This was on the Sunday prior to the Olympics. The sun was shining and it was a really enjoyable afternoon. Having marked the answer sheets, I handed out the prizes and went home for an hour or so before our evening prayer meeting.

There is a phrase, 'You never know what's around the corner' and how true that is. Within the hour I had developed pain in my lower abdomen and was taken to our local hospital. I was quickly moved by ambulance to another hospital. Following an operation I was informed I would not be able to drive for a while. For me, this brought about a complete stop. How could I minister at churches or even carry out my mayoral duties if I couldn't drive. I live in a rural area, which means a car is a necessity. After my operation, I had a few more visits to hospital, mainly not by choice but through Accident & Emergency, but over the next few weeks, as other issues arose, in all the pain I found a peace; a peace in God.

Somebody asked me how I felt being in and out of hospital when I had a healing ministry? For me the miracle in it all was I was at home when I became ill. In March I had been ministering in a very remote part of southern India. I could therefore give thanks to God that I was at home surrounded by close friends and family. If I had been in India and not in the UK, I may not be here now to tell part of the story.

For my health the outcome looks to be good, but just a few weeks ago I was informed that a close school friend of mine was shot and killed in Afghanistan; then my next door neighbour (also a close friend) was admitted to hospital, for a supposedly routine operation, but now we are told through complications she may not come home and is on a life support.

The Bible tells us to, 'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you'. (1 Thessalonians: 5:16-18)

It is amazing that the word of God can tell us to, 'Rejoice always', which is so hard when the circumstances around us can tell us otherwise.

We are also informed, '...giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.' (Ephesians 5:20)