In what ways have trials been productive? Give personal as well as Biblical examples.BIB 534-1 - 06-6

“We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” Acts 26:14 (NIV) A goad is a long stick with a pointed end used for prodding animals which Saul metaphorically kicked against until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Paul prayed to God about his “thorn in the flesh”. Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” As for productive, Paul certainly was that!

The “thorn in the flesh” or goad that I’ve been kicking against for more than a year involves family responsibilities. I left my home and moved in with my elderly mother to become her primary caregiver. She does have a caregiver twice a week for a few hours so I’m here mostly to see to her meals, doctor visits, reading her mail, etc. Since I stay pretty much home with mom I have time to study, a blessing. If I were home in Arizona I would've been at the swap meets buying beads that I don't need to make jewelry for sale in a down market; distractions I so enjoy. That said, I often pray to God to continue providing me the mental and physical strength to carry on. Paul was an outstanding individual with great strength of character sadly lacking in my case.

Since I’m pretty much tied down 24/7 the blessing is not just having the time to study but that I bury myself in my studies to avoid mental atrophy. So I can really dig into such things as the speculations about the next pope. Yesterday two of my mother's Catholic friends visited her and I tried to engage them in a conversation about the next Pope. Have you ever felt like you were talking to the wall? Little wonder that I bury myself in my studies and my blog.

Given the resignation of the pope I’m back to reading the book "Petrus Romanus: The Final Pope Is Here" co-authored by Tom Horn and Cris Putnam. The authors predicted that Pope Benedict the 16th would become the first pope in nearly 600 years to resign. Interestingly enough, two candidates for the papal seat have either Peter or a form of it in their name. So is it fulfillment of prophecy or convoluted use of prophecy by Rome?