ON CHRISTIANITY

DEAR REV. GRAHAM: I had major surgery recently that my doctors say will take months to heal. I’ve always been very active, but I’m already depressed and bored because I can’t do anything but watch TV all day long. Why is God doing this to me?

— K.D. DEAR K.D.: One reason, of course, why God may have allowed this to happen is so you’ll be stronger and healthier later. Although you don’t mention your exact problem, I hope you’ll be thankful for the good medical care God has given you through your doctors.

But in addition to your physical healing, God may also want to use this time to bring another kind of healing to you: spiritual healing. If you’ve always been a strong, selfreliant person, for example, you may have felt little need for God in the past. But you need Him (whether you realize it or not), and the greatest discovery you could ever make is that He loves you and wants to be part of your life every day.

He has made this possible by sending His Son into the world for your salvation. You may think of yourself as a good person, but no matter who we are, we need God’s forgiveness and new life. Turn to Christ and ask Him to come into your life today — and He will.

In just a few weeks, we’ll be celebrating Christmas. What will it mean to you? Will you simply complain because of all the things you can’t do right now? Or will you see its true meaning: that Jesus Christ came into the world so we could know God? Don’t waste these days of recovery, but use them to grow spiritually. The Bible says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8).