This is worth reading: 1 Peter Chapter 1. (Some will of course pretend the first two verses aren’t there, or at least will redact three words. ; - )
A pertinent excerpt:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
And it’s been a while since some of us have read this, too, and maybe if read, never digested: Hebrews 12:1-13
(Although you’ve seen verse 2 cited often enough. ; - ) –
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
And in case anyone thinks I’m being glib, I sent @RichardG a PM detailing some of my and my wife’s medical woes over the last several years,