38 Years Is a Long Time

"Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time …" John 5: 5-6   While one of the most familiar passages in the Bible, the story of Jesus meeting this man now carries a more profound significance to Gracie and me. Scripture records the man's plight as lasting 38 years.   In the following sentence, Scripture validates that 38 years is a long time.   This month marks the 38th anniversary of Gracie's car accident, and it continues to reach through the decades with challenges and pain. Still recovering from a terrible fall in September that resulted in a broken femur, numerous challenges daily remind Gracie that 38 years is indeed a long time.   Why is it important that God also recognizes 38 years as a long time?