HOW DO WE USE OUR SUFFERING PRACTICALLY AS A TOOL
TO EVANGELIZE THE LOST AND DISCIPLE BELIEVERS AROUND US?
This was a question posted during a Q&A at my church
following our sermon series in the book of Job. My answer, of course, is to
write about suffering. Talk about it. Let people know that life isn’t always
sunshine and rainbows, but God’s grace abounds. But I haven’t been doing that
lately. Not because I haven’t encountered suffering, but more because so much
of my writing focused on cancer. And I don’t currently have cancer. I do see my
oncologist this week for my semi-annual boob-poke, and that’s about all I have
going on with cancer.
I’ve had two people in the last two weeks mention my blog
to me. One person told me I am a good writer; I had no idea he had read my
blog. Another person let me know that she enjoys my word choices. I have had blog
posts that have lived only in my head, never having the opportunity to make it
out. But now it feels like it is time to share again.
The last year has been rough on my family. There is an
issue in my extended family that has been forefront in all our lives, with an
undercurrent of sadness and extreme depression. I don’t talk about this ongoing
issue because it is truly exhausting, and it isn’t my story to tell. Just know
that we have been dealing with it, nearly every day, for almost a year.
…Should we
accept only good from God and not adversity?... Job 1:10
God continues to work in our lives, and we praise him as
we are presented with opportunities to glorify him. Last summer Troy and I had
planned a family vacation to South Dakota. A couple months before the vacation,
we had a nearly maxed out credit card and $1,500 of unpaid medical bills. We
made the tough decision to cancel the trip because we realized we just couldn’t
afford to go. It was a tough call to make, and for me, embarrassing to admit
that we didn’t have the resources to make the trip happen.
Instead of going to South Dakota, we decided to visit
Troy’s family. We spent a few days in Freeport, IL, with his dad, stepmom, and
siblings. We then traveled to Madison, WI, to visit his cousin and family. It
was a delightful trip. And just a month after our visit, Troy’s dad and stepmom
were killed in a horrific motorcycle accident.
…a person’s
days are determined and the number of his months depends on you … Job 14:5
I remember Troy’s phone call to tell me the news. I
was getting Marah ready for bed, and he was out with friends after his weekly
golf outing. I couldn’t understand what he was telling me. Both of them? What?
We were just there.
Part of what makes the loss of Bill and Cindy so tragic
is that Troy had only reconnected with his father in the last few years. To
make a long story short, Troy was successfully building new relationships with
his father and newly found siblings. Time was such a gift. And we praise God
for our unfortunate financial situation of last summer. It gave us family
memories that are so cherished now.
Suffering doesn’t have to be cancer. It can be financial
struggles. Infertility. Loss. Suffering is an inevitable part of our sin-filled
world, but it is also an opportunity. A beautiful opportunity to evangelize the
lost and disciple believers around us.
But I know
that my Redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on the dust. Even after my
skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see him myself;
my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me. Job
19:25-27
