Have you ever had something change your life or caused you to pause in your tracks even if it was not your trial or situation? It has been hard to post something about anything lately because my heart has been heavy. Things that seemed important just do not feel important as other things.
If you have not seen my comments lately one of my college friend’s husband passed away yesterday. He has been struggling for close to a month. He had been receiving chemo treatment for cancer that had returned after being in remission for 3 years. There was a Facebook group created to pray for her husband after he was admitted to the hospital more than 3 weeks ago because he could not breathe really well. Seems like the chemo treatment created some sort of toxicity in his lungs.
As a pharmacy technician, I have seen and read so may things when it comes to medication. There are pros and cons to taking it and when I realized that my friend had to go through this side effect of taking a medication in order to eradicate cancer, it confused me. It did not make sense to me at all.
If anything, asking God for clarity and strength was my biggest challenge. I wanted to be strong for my children but once I found out that he passed away, my day was crushed. I have not really lost a loved one except for a great-aunt back when I was 16 so it has been A LONG time since I have experienced a friend’s passing. Even though I was friend’s with his wife only, I knew of his character and his love for Christ.
There is amazing testimony of his being a great witness and lover of Christ and even though I am saddened that he left 3 small children and a wife behind, I know, I KNOW that he is in heaven with no more suffering and pain. This reminds me that this life is short and it is temporary. I only imagined being in my friend’s shoes and wondering how I would react. Would I crumble? Would I be strong and understand God’s plan?
Goodness, I have been a Christian practically all my life but I have never felt the way I felt yesterday. I felt devastated and crushed. I felt saddened to a point of feeling depressed. I wish I could be there for her, hold her and help me. There is a reason for everything and I know that this will make everyone stronger.
Someone shared this verse and it resounded deeply with me:
2 Corinthians 1:3-8
New International Version (NIV)
Praise to the God of All Comfort
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
I was challenged. Am I living my purpose and being an example to others? Do I show the joy of the Lord as my strength or am I relying on the things of this earth to satisfy? What is bringing meaning to my life and am I only being defined my the things God has blessed me with or am I defined by HIM?
As you can see, I am going to have to process a lot of these questions with Scripture because there is a reason.
If you feel so moved or inclined to donate to my friend who is now a widow with three children under the age of 5, please consider giving to a fund that has been created for their family. They have a lot of medical bills to take care of and it would be very helpful. Thank you!
