Sermon Illustrations

As a hospital chaplain I encounter many patients that have upcoming surgeries and are stressed about anesthesia and the procedure they will undergo.

It is not appropriate to tell a patient that they shouldn’t worry and that worry is a sign of poor faith.

Instead I tell patients that God is aware of their situation and will be with them even in the harshest of times. I then tell them that when I was a small boy I bounced a rubber ball against a freshly textured wall. The ball picked up material off the wall at every bounce until the ball was too heavy to throw and wouldn’t bounce.

Worry is like bouncing that rubber ball. If we indulge in worry for too long we become heavy with despair and lose our ability to bounce back from the many difficulties in our life.

Instead, do what we can to make the situation better! Then, take a walk, listen to music, visit with some upbeat friends, get some rest...do anything that doesn’t contribute to the worry of our lives.

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