Welcome to the Paul Tripp podcast, where pastor and bestselling author Dr. Paul David Tripp connects the

transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. In this episode, Paul Tripp shares the extended

and uncut story of the day his life changed as a result of severe and lasting kidney damage.

Please continue to pray for Paul's physical health. And if you want to read the full story of

Paul's suffering and how God is using it to mature and strengthen him, look up Paul's book,

Suffering, Gospel Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense. Available at paultrip.com slash suffering. Gospel hope when life doesn't make sense. Available at Paultrip.com

slash suffering.

October 19th of 2014, I walked rather casually with Luella toward Jefferson Hospital.

I'd had some minor physical symptoms. I called my physician and he said, you're close to one of the best hospitals in the city. Why don't just go

there and get checked out? We stopped at Starbucks along the way. We sat quite relaxed. I was quite unafraid in the emergency waiting room watching Philadelphia Eagles football.

Even when I was taken back and to the back to be examined, I was not nervous because I thought that everything would be okay.

I thought I was healthy, only to discover that I was an acute renal failure,

and that that would begin a very difficult physical travail, huge physical suffering, sick surgeries, and a body left damaged

in ways that I never thought I would experience in my life. I am an exerciser that week I had

gotten on my carbon fiber road bike and done a 10-mile sprint every morning, 10 miles as fast as I could ride.

Thought of myself as being physically healthy. I thought maybe 45 minutes in the little examining room,

they'd give me a medication and send me home.

I had no idea that there'd be a hospital visit

and was shocked when within 15, 20 minutes,

that there were doctors from five different departments.

In my examining room, I can remember laying there and hearing in the background,

doctors discussing whether they would put me on dialysis, I thought they had the wrong room.

...