Curse marks, Paul's back and broken hearts...

"Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers." 2 Corinthians 11:24-26

"Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city." Acts 14:19-20

After all those beatings, lashes and the stoning, can you imagine what Paul's back looked like? The fact that he survived all those things is a miracle in it self. A lot of people didn't live through those things, especially not stoning. The point of stoning was to kill. It was capital punishment. Still, after Paul recovered "he got up and went back into the city"!!!

Could you tell Paul, or any other person for that matter, that being in the center of God's will is a safe place to be?

Just keep the picture of Paul's back in your mind.

Read on at Life is beautiful from Katrín Guðlaugsdóttir Reykjavík, Iceland. If you try to unscramble her name, she seems to be Guðlaugs' daughter, but I am sure she is most of all a daughter of the King of Kings. You Go Girl!