Perhaps one thing that binds our church together is the presence of much illnesses within our midst. The consistent reminder that life is mortal as a result of the sin-cursed world we live in is very real and very sobering. Since two church camps ago, we have come to the 'alarming' realization, that God meant for suffering and affliction for the good of His own. That is God's way of removing our dependence upon ourselves and allowing us to seek and see His face. Sure, we have been given all spiritual blessings from above [Ephesians] but suffering and affliction is a blessing when we see where God is leading us eventually - towards the likeness of Christ and Himself. It's a tough truth to swallow especially since we have been taught that blessings are a measurement of our obedience to Christ. But strange that we have never once considered that Christ who was perfectly obedient to God, even to the death of the cross - was given a humble title of a man of sorrow and suffering.