Posts Tagged: ‘comfort’

Praying for Danica

Monica Snyder and I were pen pals in high school, which is how we both developed a love for writing. I lived near Rochester, NY, and she lived in Staunton, VA. I call her “Sis”, not just because of our relationships with Christ, but because we’ve walked out of some dark places together by His grace.

After high school we lost touch for many years, but through the blessing of Facebook we were able to pick up where we left off…encouraging each other to walk with Christ through written word. Since then, I’ve seen the struggle that she and her family have faced, especially since they found out that their little girl, Danica, has a rare Chiari malformation in her brain. Here’s an explanation from their website:

What this means in simple terms is she has a gap where most people’s skulls are closed so some of her brain is sticking out into her spinal column. She had brain decompression surgery in November of last year which brought her some relief, but her brain is herniated again, and she needs another more involved brain decompression. In addition to her Chiari, Danica was diagnosed with atlas assimilation, a congenital formation of her skull fused to her neck vertebrae. She needs spinal fusion to help make her stable. ~ http://teamdanica.com

This week Danica had that procedure done at a Cincinnati hospital. She is in recovery at the hospital’s Pediatric ICU, under careful watch. She does not respond well to many pain-relieving medications, and she is intensely uncomfortable.

Monica wrote this tonight:

When your flesh and your heart fail

Just a quick update tonight because I can barely think. We have been through the most grueling day of our lives. Danica has been in so much pain and has been having episode after episode of thrashing around and crying. At times it has taken four adults to hold her down. We are back in the PICU tonight, and Danica is calm for the first time in more than eight hours. She is on a new batch of meds and our goal is to keep her resting so the critical first week of her bone graft beginning to heal will take place. Please pray no damage was done today with all her twisting and moving. Please pray for peace for her little body and spirit and acceptance of the brace. Please pray for Dan and I. As you know I was not physically well heading into this. I took some crazy kicks to my abdomen today and have also been going on almost no sleep since very early Tuesday morning. Pray for Dan. God has matured him in amazing ways since Danica’s first surgery. He has been a great support and has been patient and loving even when the frustrations peak. Thank you for all your love and support. I’ll write more when I can.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

So here I am tonight praying for Danica and her dear family. Won’t you join me in praying for them.

Father, please grant Danica relief. Grant a time of rest and calm. Bring peace of mind, and numb the body. Hold her and speak to her in a way that no one else can. In the name of Jesus, for your glory and her good, please do this.

It turns out that Danica’s favorite song is my piano work, Zuzu’s Petals, so I’m working on a special treat for her. Stay tuned. Here’s the original version…that’s all I’ll say. ;)

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Leashing The Dogs Of Doubt

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief !”
Mark 9:24 (NIV)

Doubts are the persistent nippings of dogs.

Some of these doubts are so full of venom that they harden the heart.  Once bitten, a victim finds that he cannot believe in anything outside himself.  He disowns his heavenly Father much like one might disown his earthly one.  In his mind, there is no God.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
Psalm 14:1a

I have at times been grazed with such a bite, usually inflicted by the skeptic who is satisfied with nothing but his own answer, whose heart was hardened long ago.  My own doubts about God’s existence are always momentary, for He graciously reminds me that He does not require my permission or my faith to exist–that He was, and is, and will be, long after I return to dust.

There are other doubts from other dogs that are equally dangerous.

Their potency lies in their ability to paralyze the believer.  These toxins work their way into the spiritual nervous system and draw into question the character of God, His wisdom, and His power.

  • Is God really good?
  • Why doesn’t He care?
  • Does God really know what He’s doing?
  • How could He let this happen?
  • Where was God when I needed Him most?
  • How am I going to get out of this mess?

I have keenly felt this during times of financial need, especially during this past year when expenses outweighed income and no solution was apparent.  It is much easier to trust a credit card than to trust God.  Yet, without fail, every time Becky and I trusted God to provide, He did.  It was not always in the manner expected, but He did. 

And yet, despite His faithfulness to me and my family, I still struggle with doubt every time a financial crisis hits (though the sting has weakened).  It reminds me of what the Apostle John wrote of his contemporaries.

Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
John 12:37

Do you struggle with doubts, too?

How do we keep the dogs at bay?

  • Read the Bible and memorize the promises - In it, God clearly displays His goodness, His wisdom, and His power to save.
  • Pray – You cannot deny the person you are speaking with.  Praying while you read the Bible is detoxifying and invigorating.  It softens the heart and brings life to your spirit.
  • Seek Counsel - You cannot fend off the dogs alone; you need others who have battled these dogs before to fight with you.  Surround yourself with like-minded believers.
  • Practice – When times are tough we tend to leave God as the last resort.  Next time, go to Him first.  Ask for more faith, and persist till He satisfies your aching heart.

The Apostle Paul wrote this of Abraham,

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Romans 4:20-21

May the same be true of us, and may all who follow us find us faithful to the end.

If you find encouragement in this, pass it on.

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The Promise Of Pain

Becky tells me she misses my inspirational blogs, and I miss writing them, so here goes.

One of the Bible verses that has been a constant reminder of God’s power and goodness is Romans 8:28:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

The next two verses go on to say that His purpose for us is to grow in Christ-like character, to reconcile our relationship with Him, and to be with Him in glory.  In these words lie the promise of pain.

Pain breaks us.  It humbles us.  It reminds us to call on the Lord.  Then, in our broken state, He lifts us up and injects us with His life-giving comfort, His character, His peace, and His glory.

When, in my own suffering I am tempted to doubt the goodness and power of God, I read the blogs of two childhood friends who know well the purpose for suffering:

After reading their blogs, it is clear that God uses pain to raise up His best servants.  These precious people inspire me as they cling to the promise that their suffering has and is accomplishing ALL that God intended from it–none of it wasted.

I share them with you so that in the midst of your own present or future suffering, you also may find encouragement in their words of hope, joy, and peace.

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