Too often the focus of life is on the myriad of illnesses that can plague humanity. I sure have fallen into that trap. Diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression and any big toe pain that I happen to feel have all been a part of my repertoire of illnesses. It is easy to focus on how much the body hurts, how bad the pain is and how depressing it all is. Pain is very real and I would not minimize the level of discomfort that really does happen. Nevertheless, I have found another way to live that does not focus on the pain, but instead reaches out for even the smallest joy. Today, even though it was cold, it was sunny and bright. My rose bush is beginning to show tiny leaves and buds, displaying the promise of renewed beauty. Last summer, I moved some irises and left room for new growth. I took a peek today and every one of the irises that I planted has at least 4 new irises coming up beside it. The funny thing is that the weeds are flocking around the flowerbed too. When I look beyond myself to help another person, a neighbor or friend, it helps me to not even think about how I might be hurting. I’m also much more open to find natural ways to take care of my body, trying new things, new to me anyway, to naturally lower blood sugar and to help fend off things like the cold virus that are always going around. The very best thing for me is to focus on the absolute truth of God’s love and peace; if I focus on that, I don’t have as much interest in focusing on pain. Sometimes, in my conversation with friends, it is easy to talk about all the different pains that are happening currently. Wow, what if I put as much energy into sharing the truth of God’s love! It’s an area of life I still want to grow in.