Since May of 2011 I have virtually been out of sight. I did some
preaching until June, but after I had to have emergency surgery, I was sidetracked. I didn’t think this would go on but a few weeks and I would be back in the saddle again. In case you didn’t know, I was diagnosed with an aggressive lymphoma in May. Chemo treatment for that began immediately, and I went through six rounds of treatment, after which I was in remission. But there was another surprise. After I was in remission from lymphoma, I was told that I had a suspicious polyp in my colon on January 5 of 2012. I had surgery for that and they said they got it all. (Let us pray.) As a result of that I am laid up again, dealing with nausea and weakness. You might say that I have been sidelined. Now, for an activist Baptist preacher that seems like a bad thing, and in a sense it is, but there is another side to the story. You see, I couldn’t imagine that I could go from June (Father’s Day) until today (February 9) without preaching. With tongue in cheek, I said that I couldn’t imagine the kingdom of God going on without me preaching for several months. Guess what? The kingdom has done quite well, and so have I. I have had to hear other people preach, which has been good for me. I have read my Bible through twice without hunting for sermons in the past year. (Preacher, you might try that sometime.) Lo and behold, I have grown spiritually without being in the thick of things. Don’t misunderstand me. I am looking forward to “getting back out there” again, but I think I will appreciate it more because of the sabbatical that I have been forced to take over the last few months. Just the same, I hope that you do not have to take such a sabbatical, but if you do, keep the faith. God is not through with you. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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