He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.Ecclesiastes 3:11
It’s a very demoralizing position to find yourself in when you are no longer able to take care of yourself. Not being able to do the simplest of tasks is very frustrating, and it is very humbling having to rely on others for everything you need. At this stage in Gene’s disease, we are sensing the cruel power of ALS. His mobility is extremely limited and getting worse day by day. We just completed a renovation to our shower to make it handicap accessible; it actually turned out quite beautiful. We are using a special chair that rolls into the shower, and I am bathing, drying, and dressing Gene. What a hilarious sight it is sometimes—it isn’t easy for a small woman to physically care for a much bigger man. Gene says I scrub him so hard that I am not only removing this year’s tan, but last years too! We have, also, just bought an extra-long twin Tempur-Pedic adjustable bed for Gene. The foot and head of his bed can be raised and lowered with a touch of a button, and it even has a vibrating massage feature; however, getting him into and out of bed is a major production. You should see us trying to position him just right on the mattress—if it wasn't so sad, it would be funny, and sometimes we do laugh and cry at the same time. He is positioned right beside our king size bed so that I can be near him when he needs something in the middle of the night, but we miss sleeping together in the same bed. We have gotten a brand new electric lift that will help me to be able to transfer Gene from bed to wheelchair when he is unable to assist me with transfers, or if he falls again. Our room is looking more and more like a hospital room than a romantic master bedroom. We are thankful, though, for the tools and equipment that are helping us accomplish the tasks of daily life. But, this is only our little corner of suffering, we know that you have your own, too; everyone does.
Suffering is universal. Suffering happens to young and old, rich or poor, atheist and God-fearing alike. Suffering is no respecter of persons, power, privilege, or position—it will visit everyone at some point, no matter who you are. No one needs to be convinced that there is a great deal of pain and horrible suffering in this world. If God is supposed to be a God of love, why would He allow people to experience so much pain and suffering? Why does He allow famines, floods, fires, earthquakes, and horrific accidents? Why would He allow us to suffer terrible diseases? If God is so powerful, why does he not just eliminate suffering all together? Does He lack the power or the compassion to overcome pain, suffering, and all the evils of this life? These are not new questions and there are no simple or easy answers.
Throughout time and history philosophers, theologians, and other great minds have sought to give their explanations. Gene and I are certainly no experts in the fields of philosophy or theology and we don’t pretend to be great thinkers. The only thing that qualifies us to speak on this subject is that we have suffered somewhat in our lives and we have looked to God’s Word for answers. We understand that there are many of you that read our blog who may not embrace what we believe, but we welcome you here anyway. We, also, know that some of you are experiencing very painful times in your lives. We are very aware that you hurt, and we would very much like to share with you what has allowed us to keep going and not just to keep going, but to have joy in our hearts despite the suffering that ALS is causing us.
Losing a precious son in a terrible accident 10 years ago has been a training ground for our suffering. We never imagined that we would ever be faced with anything more painful than the death of a child, but here we are! Our deepest desire is that we might offer to you a door of hope and maybe give you something of eternal significance that will make a difference in your life.
When suffering comes to us, it is very easy for us to believe that God does not love us, or that He does not care about us. It is normal to wonder if He is even able to prevent our suffering; is He really in control. But, the truth is, if God were not able to prevent the suffering that has befallen us, then He would not be a God who is very powerful, He would not be a God that is trustworthy. Whatever suffering that has happened to us, would have been more powerful than God himself.
But, God is in control over His creation and He is completely trustworthy. He is in control of our lives, right down to the smallest of details; right down to you and your life, to your pain and your suffering. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-30. This truth gives Gene and me a great deal of comfort and hope. If our pain and suffering have no purpose, then our existence in this life is pointless. But He does see us, He knows us, and He is caring for us.
So then, why suffering? Why did God choose suffering to fulfill His plan? The Bible is a thick book, and it gives many reasons and purposes why God allows suffering, pain and calamities. In our search to find God’s answer to this question, we believe that there is one explanation that stands forth as the most important reason and that is, that we would learn to place our hope, not in this temporary life, but in the great value and worth of Jesus Christ.
There are matters of eternal significance that God desires to reveal to us, but often we are too busy being busy with our own lives that we do not hear Him. In his book, “The Problem of Pain”, C.S. Lewis said that "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." We love this life; we love our comforts, our toys, our hobbies, our jobs, our routines, our own stuff, our own self. But, this life is but a brief moment; we are like the grass that withers in the heat of the day and then we are gone. A little disease like ALS will remind you that this is true. We, sometimes, act like this life is all there is; that we will be here forever. There are some things that are much too important to be whispered and God must use a trumpet blast to get our attention. He wants for us to lighten our grip on this life that is only a momentary existence, and to value Him as our highest treasure. He wants us to understand that His loving-kindness is better than life itself.
Even the apostle Paul experienced the shout of God in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 when Paul said, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”
God’s value of suffering is much different than ours. For the display of His own great glory, God the Father did not even spare the suffering of His own Son so that we might know His love and salvation that far outweighs any momentary discomfort we experience in this life—What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32
If and when you experience great and painful suffering, Gene and I would like to be a voice that says to you, “God is for you and not against you. He has designed your suffering, because He loves you, to help you release your grip on the temporary hopes of this life so that you might, instead, rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, through Jesus Christ”.
Until next time…
…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
Romans 5:1-5
To the praise of His glorious grace,
Gene and Michele
Suffering is universal. Suffering happens to young and old, rich or poor, atheist and God-fearing alike. Suffering is no respecter of persons, power, privilege, or position—it will visit everyone at some point, no matter who you are. No one needs to be convinced that there is a great deal of pain and horrible suffering in this world. If God is supposed to be a God of love, why would He allow people to experience so much pain and suffering? Why does He allow famines, floods, fires, earthquakes, and horrific accidents? Why would He allow us to suffer terrible diseases? If God is so powerful, why does he not just eliminate suffering all together? Does He lack the power or the compassion to overcome pain, suffering, and all the evils of this life? These are not new questions and there are no simple or easy answers.
Throughout time and history philosophers, theologians, and other great minds have sought to give their explanations. Gene and I are certainly no experts in the fields of philosophy or theology and we don’t pretend to be great thinkers. The only thing that qualifies us to speak on this subject is that we have suffered somewhat in our lives and we have looked to God’s Word for answers. We understand that there are many of you that read our blog who may not embrace what we believe, but we welcome you here anyway. We, also, know that some of you are experiencing very painful times in your lives. We are very aware that you hurt, and we would very much like to share with you what has allowed us to keep going and not just to keep going, but to have joy in our hearts despite the suffering that ALS is causing us.
Losing a precious son in a terrible accident 10 years ago has been a training ground for our suffering. We never imagined that we would ever be faced with anything more painful than the death of a child, but here we are! Our deepest desire is that we might offer to you a door of hope and maybe give you something of eternal significance that will make a difference in your life.
When suffering comes to us, it is very easy for us to believe that God does not love us, or that He does not care about us. It is normal to wonder if He is even able to prevent our suffering; is He really in control. But, the truth is, if God were not able to prevent the suffering that has befallen us, then He would not be a God who is very powerful, He would not be a God that is trustworthy. Whatever suffering that has happened to us, would have been more powerful than God himself.
But, God is in control over His creation and He is completely trustworthy. He is in control of our lives, right down to the smallest of details; right down to you and your life, to your pain and your suffering. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-30. This truth gives Gene and me a great deal of comfort and hope. If our pain and suffering have no purpose, then our existence in this life is pointless. But He does see us, He knows us, and He is caring for us.
So then, why suffering? Why did God choose suffering to fulfill His plan? The Bible is a thick book, and it gives many reasons and purposes why God allows suffering, pain and calamities. In our search to find God’s answer to this question, we believe that there is one explanation that stands forth as the most important reason and that is, that we would learn to place our hope, not in this temporary life, but in the great value and worth of Jesus Christ.
There are matters of eternal significance that God desires to reveal to us, but often we are too busy being busy with our own lives that we do not hear Him. In his book, “The Problem of Pain”, C.S. Lewis said that "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." We love this life; we love our comforts, our toys, our hobbies, our jobs, our routines, our own stuff, our own self. But, this life is but a brief moment; we are like the grass that withers in the heat of the day and then we are gone. A little disease like ALS will remind you that this is true. We, sometimes, act like this life is all there is; that we will be here forever. There are some things that are much too important to be whispered and God must use a trumpet blast to get our attention. He wants for us to lighten our grip on this life that is only a momentary existence, and to value Him as our highest treasure. He wants us to understand that His loving-kindness is better than life itself.
Even the apostle Paul experienced the shout of God in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 when Paul said, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”
God’s value of suffering is much different than ours. For the display of His own great glory, God the Father did not even spare the suffering of His own Son so that we might know His love and salvation that far outweighs any momentary discomfort we experience in this life—What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32
If and when you experience great and painful suffering, Gene and I would like to be a voice that says to you, “God is for you and not against you. He has designed your suffering, because He loves you, to help you release your grip on the temporary hopes of this life so that you might, instead, rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, through Jesus Christ”.
Until next time…
…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
Romans 5:1-5
To the praise of His glorious grace,
Gene and Michele
1 comment:
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.
It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances,
than failures, than successes,
than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ...
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our
Attitudes.”
Attributed to Charles Swindoll
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