Torn apart

[Polycarp1]

Hi, Emma! You have the most valuable medical weapon available to deal with the pain of severely ill persons and their families: prayer.

No, I'm not talking "faith healing," nor am I belittling the medical arsenal.

But handing over the pain you observe and empathize with, with heartfelt intercession for these people, to the Lord of All, who knows and loves them, is what you're called on to do.

You don't need to tell God what's needed in each situation; He knows already! But in raising up their suffering in intercessory prayer, you do three things:

1. You seek God's healing in the life of the person suffering.

2. You seek His comfort for those who love the severely ill person and are grieved at his suffering, and hence suffer themselves.

3. You give to Him the distress you yourself feel at their spiritual distress. And in doing this, you can rest assured that you have done all that you yourself can. Contemplate a patient in pain: as a nurse, you give what medications you are authorized to give, and if they are not sufficient, your next step is to put a note on the chart calling to the attending physician's attention the ongoing suffering, and trusting in him to prescribe another analgesic. Only after making that note have you "done all you can" for that patient. And the intercessory prayer is calling in the Great Physician.

It's a fool's game to speculate on "God's purpose in suffering" -- but I have seen people develop great spiritual strength through dealing with ongoing illness, their own or a beloved's. He's always there, and prepared to comfort and strengthen and lift up those who are in pain or spiritual distress. Lift them up to Him, and be comforted.

 

[Kimberley Durocher]

 

[Kimberley Durocher]

Dear ej;

Sounds like the Lord has blessed you with the gift of compassion. It's a hard gift to have. Unfortunetly, some of us don't have enough of it sometimes. I got a taste of it when my daughter was born, so I know how when somebodies suffering tears you apart, it hurts worse then your own. Lily Faith was a month early, and born with multiple fractures to her scull, and swelling of the brain. I was told she may not make it and that if she did, she would probably have brain damage. Nothing is worse than your first, and only child suffering. I cried every time I saw her hooked up to all those machines. Her eyes were black and blue, and her head swollen. She stayed in the hospital for three weeks, and when she left, there was still some bleeding in her brain. I felt helpless. And so anxious. So I prayed for a miracle. I gave it completely to God. Knowing that he had a reason for all this. And believing she would be fine. She is. The bleeding in her brain stopped, and she is a perfect baby at 8 months old! The Lord knows what he's doing in all things. He has reasons for all suffering, for dying and most of all for Love. Even if my baby died, I would continue to be faithful, knowing that he had taken her home with him where there is no pain. What a beautiful place heaven is! The world is painful, but you can suffer from it, or you can choose to learn from it. We are here to learn, and to learn faith. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart" If you do wholly and completely, you will reep the benefits. I have, everytime I see my daughter's smile and hear her laugh.

 

[livehislight]

I know... people rip and tear eachother like anything. Whenever I start talking about this I find myself pointing fingers and getting upset, but then I realize that I'm starting in the wrong place. The first finger I need to point is at myself. I thank God that he has saved me from being left along as my own miserable self, wallowing in my sin, but I know I still have a long way to go. I am very encouraged that you are such a loving and caring person and are still so un-judgemental. The world needs more people like that, but you are not alone. There are others who are torn by all the problems sin has created, all the hate and lack of love. People judge eachother for every little thing. My best friend is a different denomination and people judge her by that without first finding out that she has an INCREDIBLE heart for God. One thing that encourages me is knowing that God loves the world and is hurt by it far more than I. I pray that His will will be done.... on earth as it is in heaven....