Lion and Lambs

This week has been quite a week of asking, “What is the purpose?” I have had several events that friends are going through that keeps making me ask the question. Recently I heard a Christian speaker say that when we ask “Why God?” we are assuming that we could do a better job. It makes sense. The better question truly is in seeking the purpose because God does cause ALL things to work together for the good. I know that to be absolute truth. Since my mission here lately is to look for the postive in each situation, I am going to blog a couple of the more prominent one’s from this week’s questions, that have left me stumped.

First, a very good friend of mine has a sixteen year old, tender hearted son. Earlier this week his dog died during the process of giving birth to her puppies. Her uterus ruptured and they did emergency surgery, but she never woke up from the anesthesia. She was only three years old. All the puppies died as well. God cares about the sparrows, which follows that He cares about the dogs. I know He cares for the young boy and his tender heart. So I am left wondering, “What was the purpose?” because I know there is one.

The other one involves another dear friend who suffers terribly from Rheumatoid Arthritis, yet is always cheery and much more concerned about me. She has been waiting close to a year for knee replacement surgery, one of the few joints that have not yet been replaced. There have been many postponements for various reasons. In the long waiting period she has experienced extreme damage to one of the nerves that goes from her lower back down her leg. Part of the waiting has been in coordinating the nerve surgeon with the joint surgeon. (and then there is finding an available operating room on a day that both doctors are available, etc) She finally got a firm date, and in her pre-op tests the doctor found something wrong with her heart. Her paperwork was delayed in getting to the cardiologist they reffered her to, and now they cannot complete her testing in time to clear her for the surgery date. She must now wait again for them to coordinate all the details for a new date. In the meantime she has a very fancy walker to keep her from putting much weight on the leg and killing the nerve and possibly the use of her leg, permanently. My finite mind asks, “What could be the purpose?”

Perhaps God is challenging me in this, asking me to trust Him completely, knowing He has a purpose, but sometimes it is one we will never know this side of heaven. Then, I hope and trust it will be that someone else was saved through the one of trials we faced here. May we meet them in the way that brings glory and honor to Jesus.

You’re invited to help me celebrate THIRTY DAYS without a major migraine!!!!

Thanks for coming!!

UPDATE: The insurance company agreed to cover the medication that is helping make this possible!! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

Having an invisble illness, you often receive comments from others about how well you look. This is usually followed by, “You must be feeling better”. There have been many times that this has left me speechless. Nodding, I just say thank you. This act does not help promote awareness, nor does it give the credit to the One who has helped me to shine despite the adversity.

Tonight in our women’s ministry bible study, our teacher referred us to 2 Corin 4:7-10 (2 Corinthians 4)

Verse 7 says:

But this precious treasure–this light and power that now shine within us–is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own. NLT

My paraphrase and the way I want to remember to answer people from now on:

It is God’s Glory shining through me!!

Do you live with an invisible illness? You aren’t alone. National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week, September 11-17, 2006 gives you a chance to feel “normal.”

The statistics about illness are staggering:
+ Nearly 1 in 2 Americans has a chronic condition
+ 96% of illness is invisible. 60% of the ill are ages 18-60
+ The divorce rate is over 75% for the chronically ill
+ 70% of suicides have uncontrollable physical pain as a factor

This year’s theme is “My illness is invisible but my hope shines through!”

When you deliberately focus your attention on the blessings in your life and receive them gratefully, you gradually develop a clearer sense of just how much there is to be thankful for.

-Thomas Kinkade

This is the love story of a father for his son.

The story is very long and involved, so I will shorten here. Dick Hoyt’s son, rick, was born strangled in his umbilical cord and was brain damaged and lost most of the control of his limbs. The parents were told to institutionalize him, but they saw more in him. At age eleven they took him to Tuft’s University and asked them to help him communicate. He let his dad know that he wanted to run. His dad, who was a self proclaimed porker, got in shape and pushed his son in a five mile run, after which Rick typed, “Dad, when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”

That sentence changed Dick’s life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars–all in the same day.

Dick’s also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S.on a bike. They’ve done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii…all because the father loves the son, more than himself.

And Dick got something else out of all this too. He had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. “If you hadn’t been in such great shape,” one doctor told him, “you probably would’ve died 15 years ago.”

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other’s life.

I beseach you to watch this video:

(Can ) Father-son bond of Dick and Rick Hoyt

and then, when your heart is moved by this incredible love story, remember that our Heavenly Father loves us even more. God’s love, that cost Him giving His Son up to a cruel death to save our lives, is the most incredible love story ever told!

Love that produces can.

I can do all things because of Christ’s love which strengthens me. Phil 4:13 (my paraphrase)

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. -Dale Carnegie

Living with an invisible illness can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be hopeless:

Join Chronic Illness Life Coach, Tom Robinson, M.A., for a free chat seminar during National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week, September 11-17, 2006. He will talk about “How to identify and make the best use of the strengths that your illness didn’t take away.”

This year’s theme is “My illness is invisible but my hope shines through!”

You’ll find many other guests this week, including Claudette Palatsky, author of “Think it Not Strange,” Pastor Greg Harvey & Dee, Minister, author of “Finding God Faithful in Turbulent Times,” all who live with chronic illness and didn’t let illness stand in their way. Joshua Goodling, is another guest, who was given one week to live–36 years ago, He is now an inspirational speaker, author, and the founder of inspiritnews. Jason Mitchener, who was born with a rare neuromuscular disease that now confines him to an electric wheelchair and requires him to use a ventilator to breathe-recently published a devotional book “Just Passing Through: Notes from a Fellow Traveler.” It includes a music CD.

Meet amazing people and find out how you can adopt their attitude.