10/7/11

Dear family members, friends and visitors to my blogs (“Soul Searching” and “Inspired to Write”):

I want to apologize for the fact that I haven’t been able to post any new blogs recently. My family is in crisis right now. My husband has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. We are dealing with this through prayer and the support of family and friends. I do plan to journal this walk of faith and will be posting my journal to my blog in some way and at some point in time. I pray that through my writings, the trials we are enduring can offer hope for others who are going through similar trials in life.

We trust in the wisdom of our almighty God that all things will work out not only for our good, but for the good of others who see our example of faith. There are two passages from Scripture which continue to flow through my mind and are very comforting to me. They are:

1.    My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. (Hebrews 12: 5,6)

2.    If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men (1 Corinthians 15:19).

The Hebrews passage reminds me that God loves me and my husband with a perfect love. We are His children and He is our Father. As a child my own parents used to say to me when I had done something wrong or made a bad choice; If we didn’t care about you we wouldn’t punish you. We would just ignore the issue and let it go, but we want you to grow and learn from your mistakes, how to be a better person. My dad would say; this punishment hurts me more than it hurts you. Maybe many of you remember hearing similar words from your own parents or even saying them to your own children at times.

As with our earthly parents, when we hurt God hurts too. He feels our pain. He cries with us, but will continue in the discipline because He knows it is for our good or for the good of others. But He will never desert us and leave us to bear it alone. He promises; never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

God is our loving Father and we are His children. The difference between our relationship with God as our heavenly Father and that of our earthly parents is that God does not punish us for the mistakes and bad choices we make as earthly parents do. He doesn’t need to because Jesus already bore our punishment for sin when He died for us. Rather the Lord disciplines His children to help them grow and to draw them closer to Him. His discipline reassures us of His love for us. I pray that our response to His discipline will give honor and praise to Him and allow us to be an example for others. I pray that we will be a light and a beacon shining in a dark world to those who don’t know Him.

And we are not without hope! It seems that possibly my husband’s life here on earth will be drawing to a close soon, but His life with God will be just beginning. We have hope for eternity in Christ Jesus. It will be difficult and lonely for me when he is gone, but God will surround me with His love and bring me through it and I am confident I will see him again someday when God calls me home, along with the many other Christian family members and friends who have gone before me.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence (Acts 2: 26-28).

The following words from “The First Song of Isaiah” (derived from Isaiah chapter 12) are my motto for the coming months. Surely it is God who saves me; I will trust in Him and not be afraid. For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, and he will be my Savior (Christian Worship Pg. 94).

Please keep us in your prayers as we begin this journey. Pray that God will give us the strength to endure and that He would replace our feelings of uncertainty and fear with faith in His almighty wisdom and power.

To Him be all Glory! Amen.

Kristeen