I've been thinking, for some time now, about what I should write about in this next update. I don't really have any exciting news or dramatic swing in my health to really talk about. Fortunately, I'm feeling very good and my recovery is going better than ever expected. I've seen my doctor recently and he is truly amazed at how I've recovered. I'm continuing on with the chemo treatments and I haven't had any real adverse reactions or setbacks to speak of. So, things are going extremely well!
The fact I've been doing so well has caused me to think a little deeper about things and do a little more reading than I've ever done before. I've been thinking a lot about the power of prayer and why God chooses to heal some people and not others. In my case, I think the power of prayer has had much to do with my healing. So many of you have prayed for me and our family over the past six months and I truly believe that God heard those prayers and answered them by making my recovery so tolerable.
But, what about the others who have been sick and haven't made it through or have recovered only to have their disease come back again and again. What about all the prayers that have been spoken on their behalf? Does God not care or does he randomly pick and choose who is healed and who isn't? Why have I been so blessed to have recovered so quickly, or am I really not healed yet? Will this disease come back and ravage my body again but this time without relenting?
Fortunately, we have a God who does in fact care very much about each one of us. He loves us and knows each one of us individually. He feels our pain when we suffer, and He shares in our joy when we are happy. He is the God of comfort and the God of healing. He is the sovereign God which means that His plan for our lives is perfect. You've heard me say this over and over again but I continue to hold onto this belief because it makes such perfect sense to me.
I refer back to 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, when Paul refers to Christ answering his petition for relief from a "thorn" in is flesh. Christ said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul went on to say, "So then, I will boast most gladly about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." I hold onto what is said in this verse because it reminds me that when everything is going my way and I have everything I want I tend to forget about my need for Christ. I don't like being in that frame of mind and really want to depend on Christ everyday. Ironically, the Christmas season is one of those times when I tend to get wrapped up in the pressures of finding the right gifts and making it to all of the holiday parties that I forget about what the season is all about.
The 2008 Christmas season is going to be particularly tough for a lot of us. There are many people suffering from health issues or the loss of a loved one. The economy is down and causing all kinds of financial problems, marriage problems, loss of jobs, etc. And then you have the typical pressures of finding the right gifts, etc. I would just like to encourage each of you, before you get overwhelmed with all your troubles, to take time to reflect on what Christ and Paul shared with us in those verses. Remember that through all the difficult issues we face, the grace and eternal life that Christ offers us is truly sufficient for all of our needs. May we all take comfort in trusting Him for the future and give Him the praise and glory He deserves for the life He has given to us!
May God continue to bless each of you!
Russ and Robyn
3 comments:
thank you, sweet friend, for the blog update...it is a beautiful reminder....
My buddy, your comments and insight has touched me. I allow myself to take control of my life rather than letting God do his work. I want so much to let things go but yet I hold on with a pinky. you have reminded me that in everything, God's grace is ALL I need adn that alone will give me peace and contentment. Thanks Russ for your continued words. I pray for you and am so stoked that you're doing so well. Praise God for that!!!!
Your buddy Bruce
Thank you for the reminder. I went to this blog and read your update. There is no doubt that God allows the ups and downs we experience. It is never clear that He authors the peaks or the valleys in our lives but we find (looking back) that He was there when we needed Him most.
Desiring God is hard work. I discover too many minutes of my day focused on meaningless thoughts or activities. When I close my eyes at the end of the day, I nearly always turn my thoughts to Our Heavenly Father. It is then that I long for reminders of His hand reaching out to me as I walked to the mailbox or drove to an appointment. Life seems to be an unending distraction.
Martin Luther once said, "I have so much to do that I must spend the first three hours of each day in prayer." I would be happy to just spend ten minutes in prayer as my day began. What hinders me from taking that much needed time in prayer? My guess, mostly me. "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" (Beb 12:2). Keeping my eye on Jesus and His plan for my life is a constant struggle. I'm surely not alone in this struggle. Lord, "Fill me with Christ, that His peace would reign in my heart" (Col 3:15) and overflow with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). Pray for one another (Ja 5:16) for the transforming power to renew our minds and know the will of God: that it is good, acceptable and perfect (Rom 12:2).
We pray for you, Russ. Not as much or often as we'd like. Your need puts us on our knees. From our knees, we get a better perspective of God. Our desire is to be your faithful friend. In our weakness, we cry to God for strength to stay awake and pray for you. Peter, James, John and the others had trouble with it also. Abide. We remain in the vine together. Hang in there.
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