I appreciate your thoughts and sharing a bit about your life. (however, methinks you may have jumped to a conclusion or two about me–but such is the nature of this form of dialogue ;-)

I agree wholeheartedly with your observations about developing long-term, trusting, fellowship. It has been only in the last several years of my Christian walk that I’ve enjoyed truly transparent and ‘agape’ fellowship (in the true sense of the word) with several brothers who have proven trustworthy.

It is in that context that I am closely familiar with the sort of troubles you shared. And I can say with complete confidence that God is faithful–even through those dark times when we can’t see his purposes. I too have cared for a spouse that went through years of pain and suffering with little hope of relief. As we struggled together through that valley, we weren’t aware, as we are now, the extent of pruning and preparing he was doing in our lives. He IS faithful to work his good will in our lives even when the circumstances cause us to question him.

And this is why I feel so deeply for my friends who must gracefully endure, as we did, the well-meaning but misguided attempts of other dear friends who try to ‘explain’ a nice tidy neat package of platitudes that come from a truly blissful ignorance of the depths some must travel.

And I can hear in your words the profound revelation of the Shepherd’s care that sometimes comes only from the hardest trials. Grace and peace to you!

Who Knows??? You may decide to change your user id from Pooh Pity… to Pooh Warrior!!!

Huggs
frank

What I have learned, is to give and take support with other Christians I can trust. I wish I could say every Christian can be trusted; but, that just isn’t so. Again, I believe that is why we are encouraged to develop long-term relationships fellowshipping with other Christians. (We have that happening at this site.)

In addition to having the support of others, we need to, as Paul writes, strive to mature in our faith… able to feed ourselves from the Word. Reading the Word often enough that we can recall verses that speak to a particular situation we experience. It is the Holy Spirit who directs us in this way… wielding the Sword of Truth.

Lastly, I am reminded of Christ’s words,”You have not because You do not ask…and when You ask, You ask for the wrong reasons.” He has promised to provide for us all that we need and more…that includes faith.

My friends tell me that I often sound ‘Preachy’ when I begin to share what I believe. I apologize if I have come across that way. (that is why I end with huggs)

Huggs
frank

My grandfather (whom I’m named after) went home to be with the Lord due to both prostrate and colon cancer. He spent his life spreading the gospel, and touched more lives than just about anyone I know. Back home (I’m from Kenya) regular checkups were not the norm, so by the time he was diagnosed it was very advanced. The next three or so months were spent with him moving between hospital and Hospice care, and was in a hospital at the very end.

One Tuesday evening, the doctors asked the family to say goodbye since he only had a few hours left. One of his sons refused to believe that it was time to say goodbye, and actually got upset when people were praying for comfort rather than healing. As this became an issue of contention outside his room, I managed to get a chance to be at his bedside alone though by now he was barely conscious, and what struck me is he had his well worn bible and study book open on his bed. He finally went home early Thursday morning.

It’s been more than 13 years since then, and your comment about bickering has brought a lot of issues from the time back to memory. I realize now that at the time everyone was trying to cope with a situation that was totally out of anyone’s control. Personally, after the countless lives he touched I couldn’t understand why God would have allowed him to be sick. Now I know his work on was done to some extent, though his passing also began a new phase for the family.

All his children are Christians, and just last night my wife and I were wondering whether people in Heaven see what’s happening on earth. We were marveling at the major seeds that God planted through my grandfather, and how proud my grandfather must be of his children.

My apologies that this turned out to be so long, but I wanted to remind you that all of your “blog family” is with you at this time.