Greetings Adventurers: I have recently encountered a new book by Joni Erickson-Tada,”A Place of Healing.” Having reached a time in her life where she has to deal with severe and frequent pain, she attempts to write about suffering in a theological way in order to make some sense of what she is going through. Her perspective is unique as her suffering from this pain began a couple of decades after her becoming a quadriplegic. The story of her faith journey after her accident has touched countless lives. And her ministry has changed countless lives as people came to know Jesus’ love for them through her story and her ministry. But this pain thing is altogether another kind of thing. The pain is intense, and her helplessness simply aggravates the emotional suffering that goes along with constant pain. In the midst of all of this she tries to make sense of her suffering. It is a quest that has been undertaken by more than one theologian. Our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers have written more about this than anyone else. Joni and they come down generally in the same arena. There is benefit to human suffering that accrues to others more than just to the suffering individual. It is a mystery, to me how this is true. Yet scriptures affirm that reality. More importantly though she lands squarely where many of us have landed, in the lap of God. We are never promised that life will be all sunshine and roses. Indeed, Jesus and the Apostles go to great lengths to inform followers of Jesus that they can expect suffering to be their lot and that their suffering connects them with the suffering of Jesus. They/we are also told that God’s promise is not that there will be no suffering in this life; it is that God will be with us in the midst of such suffering and will give us the resources we need to get through it. (Sometimes one minute at a time.) I still have a bit more to read and I suspect that I will be reflecting more on it at time goes on. If you are suffering with pain, I suggest that you get a copy of this book. It helps. She does suggest that we continue to pray for our healing and the healing of others. All the while understanding that God alone is Lord and heals whom God chooses to heal, in this life. Even so, we all have the promise that in the life to come, we will be healed, whole, and pain free the way God intended us to be. READ: Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. REFLECT: These verses fit in fairly well with the theme of Joni’s book. The archetypes of faith that the author refers to were not able to see the end result of their faith. They acted on God’s promises without assurance that they would be fulfilled in their life times. Indeed they were not. So we too, step out in faith to follow Jesus even when we do not see the end of our journey. In the midst of pain we trust God’s love for ultimate healing. When God’s call prompts us to move in ways counter to those we have learned from our culture, we faithfully go God’s way even when faced with resistance. We over come our own fear and selfishness by trusting in God and seeking the power of the Holy Spirit. We keep God’s promises and call before us and step out in faith. RESPOND: Here is where it gets a bit sticky. We can sit back and let life flow over and around us, or we can stand up and depending on the power of God, answer God’s call to continue God’s work in the world. In the midst of suffering and pain, we can still do God’s work in the world. I have told the story of Gladys many times. An elderly woman at the end of her life, confined to her bed 24 hours a day, Gladys was one of the greatest prayer warriors I have ever known. In the midst of her suffering she prayed. She prayed for others and found relief there. She did not let her infirmity keep her from faithfully serving God. She is a good example for us. In the midst of our lives, good and bad, we can and must answer God’s call to be faithful followers of Jesus. REQUEST: Lord I continue to pray for people’s healing especially from pain and suffering. But I also trust you for your timing and answer to those prayers. Pour your Spirit over us so that in what ever circumstance we find ourselves, we are able to be faithful followers of your Son Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen. Peace and Love, Doyll
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 02:42:21 +0000
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