Several of my friends are walking through challenging seasons in their lives. Some of them are facing circumstances that will be difficult for a lifetime.
One friend has a father that is dying and she has been called to his bedside.
Another has been devastated by relationship gone wrong.
One dear friend is daily waging war against cancer, taking treatments, her body reacting to treatment, all the while leaning on the Lord and finding Him faithful.
It seems that another hurting friend is being added to my prayer list daily. The Lord has been faithful to give me the grace to pray, waking me in the night, sometimes even blessing me with tears for them. I am always thankful when He puts others on my heart and nudges me to pray with Him through the night watches. What a privilege.
A friend of mine recently asked me to intercede for a dear woman (I will call her Anne) that I do not know. Anne has bone cancer. She is riddled with cancer that has invaded every bone in her body. She is in her early forties. She is in excruciating pain and her bones are so delicate that her family was instructed not to touch her body or else they might break a bone.
A few years ago, Anne's husband left her for another woman. He left her financially desperate. She had lived in a half-million dollar home which she lost. And now, friends, Anne has cancer in every bone in her body and she is in tremendous pain, but she praises the Lord. This morning when she saw the sunrise and some flowers that someone had brought to her, she said, "Oh, Jesus, how could you be so good to me?!"
My friend wrote about her words of praise this morning in a prayer update for Anne. My tears could not be restrained for the beauty of this woman of God. She is being squeezed and her love for Jesus is oozing from her whole being. I want to go sit by her bedside and be with her during her struggle. I do not think I could be in the presence of her and not be changed.
My friend shared the comment of a mutual friend of she and Anne and it really got me. She said, "When you can choose between hearing from a successful Christian or a suffering one, pick the suffering one."
Pick the suffering one, especially the suffering ones like Anne.
Praying that the Lord hears the cries of your heart for whatever your need might be today.
Blessings,
Cheri
I really understood this post, my own dad is in the process of dying, too.
ReplyDeleteNot sure when but he knows the battle is almost over and my heart is heavy. It is a long story between him and I and God will heal me as we journey through this grief process. Our hearts are heavy but we serve a God who gives us deep joy in the midst of the grief.
"Weeping will endure for the night but Joy comes in the morning." and you are right the saint who is suffering is someone to learn from. Out of their deep 'love' of the Lord their wisdom pours out. take care
What a beautiful quote.
ReplyDeleteI know you prayed my friend...and still do.
Praying for you as well.
Hugs & love,
Joy