'the needle is nothing'

Pads has just had his chemo, the last one for this cycle. The main side-effect of which is to bung him up, so to speak. He was fantastic for it - involves a needle. No resistance at all - just a little wait until he was ready and he had his music-player plugged in nice and loud. Earlier he'd said, 'the needle is nothing' (i.e. compared with other things he has to face)! He yelped more at the cold wipe used to clean the injection site! It is clear that we've had some kind of breakthrough so we can be thankful for that, at the least!
Rather frustratingly, lying in the bed next to me, he's just announced that he feels sick. I've plugged him in to his music, got the bucket and stopped the tube pump (it was only giving water anyway)... anything could happen in the next half hour!

Whoever you are reading this, please read these words too:

...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Can you say that?

We can. The secret? It's in the next verse:

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

This is Paul, in Philippians 4. Mr Higham, this Wednesday, was explaining how remarkable it was, considering the extreme sufferings of Paul, how these words could be written, let alone meant. This excellent message, which is part a series from Philippians, is available on the church website.