Recently I have found myself being pulled easily and willingly into people’s stories. There is so much heartache that it is difficult to remain separate and not share the burden and pain.
I know several Moms wrestling with how to help an adult child on a path of self-destruction through drug addiction.
What can you tell someone who has just been told that there Mom has maybe 3 months to live without radiation and less than 6 months with radiation.
How can time management help when a person is working 60+ hours to make payroll and knows that while barely making ends meet their relationships are suffering from absence and fatigue.
And the list goes on. I remember how overwhelming it was for me just three months ago taking care of my mom recovering from a massive heart attack and double bypass surgery. This was right after a major hurricane that had already shut my business down for a couple of weeks. It is overwhelming in itself, but begins to seem hopeless when you can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.
When I get caught up in the story of someone’s suffering I sometimes forget where I draw my hope. I follow them through the dark forest trails. But as soon as I break through the trees and I see the light again, I remember quickly, and feel a calm subside the waves of fear and confusion. That hope is only in Christ.
Where Does My Strength Come From?
My faith is strong, but it is still fluid. It ebbs and flows. If I stand back when it is “ebbing,” I usually see myself trying to fix things, trying to regain control, trying to understand why. That is the first sign for me that I am not allowing God to carry the burden with me. It is in these moments when I snap back to the reality of God’s view and can better offer the hope of Christ to others who are suffering.
“God promises to carry us if we will turn to Him.”
“We are not for this world and all who know Him will return to Him – it doesn’t end here.”
“If we had clarity and could see the future, we wouldn’t need faith. “
With God We Don’t Need a Backup Plan
These are the things I tell myself. I read something that Bill Hybels wrote for a bible study, about God not wanting us to have a backup plan or a plan B in case he doesn’t come through. He referenced the verse:
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9
I want to bet on God. Ironically, as I write, it seems I will have a chance again. My sister just called to tell me that my mom is back in the hospital from internal bleeding. They removed her feeding tube yesterday, which we thought was her light at the end of many surgeries and procedures. Something must not have worked right. As I get ready to go to the hospital, I will again ask God for His healing and His strength.
