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Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Job's Friends

Do you ever feel as if you are surrounded by Jobs friends (Job from the Bible)? Look no further than the account of his life to see how uncaring and big mouthed his friends where. They were the type of friends that come along and kick you while you are at your worst. I remember losing our first daughter and the ridiculous things people who were I guess well intended would say. They would say things like The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, God won't give you anymore than you can bear (that verse is SO incredibly misused it is referring to not being tempted beyond what we can bear). Some things in life are not bearable that is why we need Jesus and His grace to carry us at times. In the last 4 years I have dealt with multiple illnesses, rod broke his back, I had 2 horrible pregnancies, our daughter died, we almost lost morgan on several occasions, I had c-diff colitis, we have dealt with many personal issues...many. We have had so many trials in various forms that it is not even funny. We have been tested and tried over and over and over. Morgan has been sick for almost 2 years straight I am not kidding. We have paid thousands and thousands in co-pays and prescriptions. We have made 3 trips to the hospital in the past month 1 for Morgan 1 for Rod and 1 for me. We have been on 4 doctors appointments in the last month. I was pregnant for 2 years and puked my guts out multiple times each day. There has been so much attack and product of living in this fallen world that I can't even begin to go into detail. I am quite frankly tired. Yes I should praise Him at all times, but I am also worn slap out. And to top it off I get the so called friends and family who have had life on easy street with little to no health problems (which I wish on no one) that can not understand. And they can't seem to shut their mouths either. It seems as if they can rattle off a verse and wrap things up and put a bow on top then everything is okay. I want to scream oh thank you for giving me Romans 8:28 that just took away all of my pain and you solved all of the worlds problems. Where would I be without you to explain it all away for me? When Shelby died people would say you know something was probably going to be wrong with her so God had to take her. Me being in NO MOOD to hear that would tell them I am real sorry and I appreciate your view there but that is not the God of the Bible. Her life was meant to bring Him glory. It was to my Fathers glory that He give her and He knew before the foundations of the world that He was to beckon her home within 30 minutes of her life on earth! HE MAKES NO MISTAKES. That is such limited thinking. I would then hear Oh satan took her. What was that? My God trumps him every time and Shelby's life was in the fold of Gods hands...He is the giver of life. I have learned so much in my own sufferings that I don't want to be self-righteous, cold, or jaded when it comes to others ailments and sufferings, I don't want to be the one who comes by and stomps on their heart a little more. I want to pray for them offering little advice as if I were God and knew the battle going on in the heavenlies as to why God was allowing what He did. Sometimes we just need a good lesson in setting a guard over our mouths. There is a time to listen and a time to speak. Usually our attempts to speak at a time of crisis are pitiful and do not offer much to the hearer.
Through it all the Lord has reminded me that He will never leave me or forsake me and to keep coming to Him when I feel so ridiculed by family or friends. It is almost a joke now to the point where I don't even want to ask for prayer because there is always something wrong. I feel like the lepers in the New Testament that had to scream unclean unclean when people came near. Let's not be that way toward others. I have even had people ask me if losing our first born was a result of our sin. Lord help us!!

2 comments:

pinkmommy said...

I just had a friend whose daughter had leukemia. After 3 years of treatments, she is now cancer free and finished with treatments...GLORY TO GOD! My friend had some rediculous comments like the ones you mentioned. I always made a point not to give any advice or pretend to know what God was doing, because the reality was that I didn't know. I had never been through a tragedy of that kind, so how in the world was I supposed to know how they should react or what God had in store for my friend's darling daughter. I had the God-given sense to know that she just needed someone there. Sometimes not even to listen, but just to be there with her. I am not trying to say that I was the best supporter or friend she has ever had, but I can at least look back and know that I did not give any advice as to how she should be acting or what God was doing or why He was allowing this.

The main thing I told her, is that I would pray...and I did. Because while I had no idea what she was going through or what the future held, our God did and I happen to talk to Him every day. So, I will say the same for you. I don't know you, I don't know what all trials you are going through, and I don't know the outcome. But our God does, and I happen to talk to Him every day. So, when I do, I will lift you up to our All-Powerful, All-Knowing God, the Saviour of our lives. He is coming back soon! He will take us back with Him! He will save the day!

Anonymous said...

Girl, I love this post and can so relate! I think we would have been big buddies with Job. Keep hanging in there. I love you and I'm praying for you!