Before addressing today’s topic, I am going to revisit the cardinal issue around which last week’s blog was built. My reason for doing so will soon be very apparent. In writing a second letter to a group of persons who might be prone to wander away from doctrinal integrity and moral purity during times of difficulty, the Apostle Paul stated:
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the trouble we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever (2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 NLT).
John Henry Jowett, reflecting on this great truth, honed in on a key takeaway that remains applicable two thousand years later, “God can make us stronger than our circumstances and can turn each situation to our good. In God’s strength we can take the darkest disappointment, break it open, and discover a precious jewel of grace inside.”
Update on Ron
Last Sunday evening, less than four hours after “Finding Hidden Treasure” was published, I stubbed my toe on a curb and ingloriously did a faceplant on the sidewalk in front of one of my favorite restaurants. After spending several hours in the Emergency Room, I went home with an aching body, a lacerated thumb, a very bruised ego, and a face that evidenced a great deal of wear and tear, even for a bona fide senior citizen.
Since then, I have fielded questions which range from a sincere, “What happened?” to the expected, “What did the other guy look like?” In an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the situation, I have usually responded with some variation of, “I got into a fight with a sidewalk and the sidewalk won!” Beneath my superficial joviality, I sought to take my disappointment, break it open, and discover a precious jewel of grace inside. My search did not take long! Thanksgiving quickly bubbled to the surface: I did not have a concussion, nothing was broken, and I was able to resume ministering to Linda within two days.
Update on Linda
Today marks five weeks since Linda fell and fractured her hip. Her total immobilization is scheduled to last three more weeks. Thus far, she has displayed amazing resilience as her medical team and caregivers have sought to minimize her suffering and provide every opportunity for healing and recovery. Three events serve as a microcosm which illustrates a much larger picture:
On February 24, in a planned meeting with her Hospice Nurse, I received a very good report: An X- ray of Linda’s hip revealed that the femoral neck bone has not moved and thus is still correctly located in the hip socket. Meanwhile, her vital signs continue to be good with an improvement in her blood pressure.
On March 1, it was determined that the Hip Abduction Foam Support Pillow, which has done a remarkable job in keeping Linda’s hip in place, is also contributing to an increase in her overall body temperature. Therefore, a cooling pillow was purchased to aid in keeping her head free from excessive perspiration, and a lightweight travel pillow now keeps her hands elevated in the hope that it will minimize the swelling — attributed to long-term inactivity — in her wrists.
My March 2 early morning visit with Linda was a wonderful respite in the midst of a tempestuous week. She was smiling when I arrived and our entire visit was blessed of the Lord. Even though she could not talk, she seemed to thoroughly enjoy my reminiscing about our life together and my telling her how much I loved her. Each time I kissed her on the forehead and told her she was very special, she seemed to bask in the affection. Also, thankfully, her appetite seems to be returning.
Bottom Line
God did not cause Linda to fracture her hip, nor did He direct me to do a faceplant on the sidewalk. Both are results of the aging process and living in a fallen world. Concerning the larger issue of suffering, in the Old Testament story of Job, three facts grip my attention: God never told Job why he suffered! God demonstrated that He understood Job’s suffering and considered his ill-conceived words with compassion! God established a paradigm that believers can depend upon – Ultimately, God will come to all who sincerely and steadfastly cling to Him!
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it” (Chuck Swindoll).
Ron Harvard Ministries 