Dear Friend, 

The bellyache got so bad that I was doubled over in pain.

My mom and dad tried all the home remedies they could think of for their little ten-year-old until they had to take me to a physician.

I remember it like it was yesterday. He laid me on the exam table and never said a word. No smile. No eye contact.

He just stiffened his fingers and firmly poked and prodded all around my throbbing belly.

Talk about agony. Afterward, he called my mother into the room and said, “Appendicitis.” Terror struck. If my appendix ruptured, poison would spread through my body.

He performed surgery the next day. Then came the torturous post-operative exams. More agony! That grim, silent doctor handled me like I was a deflated tire.

Though I’m forever grateful for his medical expertise and successful surgical procedure, there’s one more thing I would have liked from him:

Gentleness!

We all could use more gentleness, couldn’t we?

Ours is a harsh and brutal world—abrasive like sandpaper.

That’s why it’s such a relief to hear Jesus’ call, “Come to me, all of you who are weary...and I will give you rest. ...Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart” (Matthew 11:28–29). Those words drip with grace.

God has given Insight for Living the privilege of heralding the precious message of Christ and extending to a bruised and hurting world the tender touch of Christ. And it’s our joy to do so!

If Christ has used Insight for Living Canada to touch your life and you want to stand with us in sharing His gentle invitation to others, please prayerfully consider sending a financial gift this month.

Paul listed gentleness as a fruit of the Spirit because it’s profoundly divine. Few traits capture people’s attention and draw the lost to Christ as gentleness! I often think of it as the touch of grace that softens the soil of our souls.

Thank you for helping us spread the news that Christ is our gentle Shepherd,

Pastor Charles R. Swindoll