Some and I would venture to say many of us are not healed of our afflictions. Sometimes they pile on, one after another.
When Paul, Jesus' disciple, was not cured of the "thorn in his flesh" despite his pleas, God told him:
My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians:12)
Did this mean his life was over? No, the life that was clearly his purpose had to continue in spite of whatever this "thorn" was. If you are struggling with chronic pain and persistent illness, you can be the eyes, ears, and hands of God, no matter the situation and whomever you meet. I've had or heard some of the most profound "conversations" with strangers in treatment waiting rooms, making eye contact with someone as we leave after bad news, telling the front-office staff at doctor's offices that you admire their patience and kindess, letting a doctor or nurse know that you appreciate them, expressing gratitude to your pharmacist. We will probably never know the ripple effect of our words or smiles, but we all can imagine, or have experienced how unkindness spreads outwards, like a virus.
By all accounts, Frederick Buechner experienced much suffering in his life and yet he became one of our most beloved writers and theologians. In the formative years of his life, when the landscape of our lives are laid out, he suffered much hardship including the loss of his father to suicide as a young boy. But his pain was transformed into purpose and meaning. Not everyone can say that. Many people who have suffered great loss, whether it be through loss of loved ones, economic hardship, abuse, persistent health problems, or perhaps all of these, we do have a choice to become bitter. But there is another way. Buechner's short talk on the stewardship of pain profoundly shifted my way of thinking about suffering. Perhaps it will resonate with you too. I also recommend any of his books, some of which are in my recommended reading lists.
To hear more about the "stewardship of pain," you may want to listen to his talk here:
https://youtu.be/73hdH1_z2ps?si=JisQ4xQOsoqw80wM
To join my Transformation Through Suffering Workshop waitlist, contact me at judyfoy2023@gmail.com
When Paul, Jesus' disciple, was not cured of the "thorn in his flesh" despite his pleas, God told him:
My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians:12)
Did this mean his life was over? No, the life that was clearly his purpose had to continue in spite of whatever this "thorn" was. If you are struggling with chronic pain and persistent illness, you can be the eyes, ears, and hands of God, no matter the situation and whomever you meet. I've had or heard some of the most profound "conversations" with strangers in treatment waiting rooms, making eye contact with someone as we leave after bad news, telling the front-office staff at doctor's offices that you admire their patience and kindess, letting a doctor or nurse know that you appreciate them, expressing gratitude to your pharmacist. We will probably never know the ripple effect of our words or smiles, but we all can imagine, or have experienced how unkindness spreads outwards, like a virus.
By all accounts, Frederick Buechner experienced much suffering in his life and yet he became one of our most beloved writers and theologians. In the formative years of his life, when the landscape of our lives are laid out, he suffered much hardship including the loss of his father to suicide as a young boy. But his pain was transformed into purpose and meaning. Not everyone can say that. Many people who have suffered great loss, whether it be through loss of loved ones, economic hardship, abuse, persistent health problems, or perhaps all of these, we do have a choice to become bitter. But there is another way. Buechner's short talk on the stewardship of pain profoundly shifted my way of thinking about suffering. Perhaps it will resonate with you too. I also recommend any of his books, some of which are in my recommended reading lists.
To hear more about the "stewardship of pain," you may want to listen to his talk here:
https://youtu.be/73hdH1_z2ps?si=JisQ4xQOsoqw80wM
To join my Transformation Through Suffering Workshop waitlist, contact me at judyfoy2023@gmail.com