All of us suffer- Illness, disabilities, addiction, relational brokenness, loss of a job, of a loved one, the trauma associated with war, rejection, sexual abuse, etc. The list seems infinite. Though some believers fall prey to the victim mentality and seem to wallow in their suffering, it appears to me that most minimize their suffering. When we do this, we fail to acknowledge our deep pain and consequently, we don't avail ourselves of the help that God makes available.
God promises to be "an ever-present help in time of need" (Psalm 46:1). In times of extreme suffering, it's easy to feel that He's abandoned you. Suffering can be all-consuming. The grief I felt, not to mention that of my wife and children, because of Laura's numerous strokes, seeing the fear in her eyes and wondering if she'd ever make a full recovery (we still wonder), left me feeling entirely upended. My bandwidth to take on responsibility, even simple decisions, was greatly compromised. Thankfully, my kids and their spouses stepped in and took lots of stuff off my plate.
Sleep seemed impossible. Worry took over. Though we'd suffered in many ways over the years, nothing seemed to compare with this.
Even when we don't feel God, He's there. How does He provide the help we need? He provides it in a variety of ways. One of them is through others. My children became a source of strength. We met together to eat, worship and pray. Our house church (Family Room Church) and other friends rallied around us, praying for us, providing meals and other types of help. One friend and his father in law installed a walk-in shower for Laura so that we can wheel her in- all we paid for was material. Others have given financial gifts.
God uses people to help. He also uses other things. More next week.