Affliction is a treasure

I received the word on my echo cardiogram today. My doc said my valves "don't work perfectly, but it's not particularly scary, and doesn't call for any follow-up now." I think he will want me to keep an eye on my blood pressure (which has never been high), but other than that, I am okey dokey. Good news.

I have good mornings and bad mornings, and on my bad mornings (like this morning), I begin to wonder what my purpose is, and if I ever accomplish anything of eternal importance with my life. This is either a small mid-life crisis of sorts, or, more likely, a result of the lovely medication that helps reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. Either way, I need to remind myself in such times that trial and pain are God's blessings to me. I was reminded of that by John Donne recently:

...affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured, and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction.
~John Donne, Meditation XVII

I guess I've got a lot of ripening and maturing going on. Hope I see its fruit sometime soon...