Presence of Illness/ Absence of God?

While spending 5 hours traveling on a bus with many teenagers today, I was struck by the thought that people just might think God is not where illness is. Something I was saying to another chaperone caused me to think about this. Quite readily, I thought of Paul's 'thorn in the flesh,' (probably of a physical nature), as well as Job with all his boils! Of course, our Lord was with them both in spite of their 'illnesses!' Much more pleasantly though, I recalled a statement made by someone at the assisted living facility where an extremely dear friend of mine spent her last couple of cancer-ridden years--"When Sandra moved in, PEACE moved in with her!" I cannot think of any more 'telling' fact to substantiate my convictions about the presence of our Lord, even in the presence of conditions of any sort. My message to anyone of you 'out there' is one of hope and assurance -- Please don't feel forsaken or threatened when/if some sort of malady or condition comes upon you... The LORD loves to be glorified as we are carried by HIM, allowing others to see HIM through us. Afterall, we ARE the body of Christ as well as the temple in which the LORD dwells. What wondrous realities and reasons for living! I trust someone will say of me one day, "When Sheila entered the room, PEACE came in with her." SOLI DEO GLORIA or, TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!