The doctor said, “You can eat anything you want.”
I heard, “You can eat anything.”
What he probably meant was, “You won’t want to eat anything you have to chew.”
Jesus said,
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 NLT
**********
The doctor said, “Stay ahead of the pain.”
I heard, “Take meds if needed.”
What he probably meant was, “Take the medicine on schedule.”
Jesus said,
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NLT
**********
The doctor said, “Don’t talk.”
I heard, “Try not to talk too much.”
He probably meant, “Talking is going to hurt. A lot.”
Jesus said,
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27 NLT
**********
The doctor said, “We’ve done all we could.”
I heard, “This may not be enough.”
I don’t know what he meant, and it frightens me.
“Don’t be afraid,” [Jesus] said. “Take courage. I am here!”
Matthew 14:27 NLT
**********
The doctor said, “Call me if you have any questions or problems.”
I heard, “Don’t call me unless you have a problem.”
I think he meant, “Call me!” But none of my concerns seemed important enough to bother him.
Jesus said,
“And be sure of this: I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20 NLT
**********
And now I wonder,
do I misinterpret and edit Jesus’s words
like I misinterpreted and edited the words of my doctor?