The Encourager – September 23, 2021 – Suffering and Sufficiency

I’m sorry I haven’t written in quite a while. I’ve jotted down many topics I wanted to write about, but I never seem to have the time or the energy. I may look fine on the outside, but inside I struggle with depression, insomnia, and the ongoing effects of trauma and abuse. And, sadly, I’ve never really regained my energy since having cancer four years ago.

I have good friends who must endure chronic pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, lyme disease, and/or various rare conditions. Others struggle with deep depression, PTSD, or other mental illnesses. Many of us have heard comments such as, “You shouldn’t park in the handicapped space,” or “What, you have to cancel again?” or “If you had more faith, you would be healed,” or “You don’t look sick,” or “Why are you still grieving - that happened years ago?” That’s why these are sometimes called “hidden illnesses” or “invisible illnesses.”

Christians, stop assuming that everyone is fine or should be fine! We need to ask one another what’s really going on, and be prepared to listen to the answers. I remember 2005, my year from Hell/year from Heaven when my husband was not getting paid at work, his brother Nathan died in a motorcycle crash, my mother died of cancer, two of my best friends moved very far away, we were dealing with multiple painful family challenges, there were problems at church, and I broke both feet, requiring emergency surgery. Guess what all the well-meaning friends and family asked about: How are your feet? How long before you can walk again? Most people only asked about and prayed about my visible illness: broken bones which required me to be on bedrest. To be sure, I did appreciate the many acts of loving service such as bringing wonderful meals, sending beautiful flowers, cleaning our house, putting up our Christmas tree, etc., but I also wished someone would just sit down with me for a half hour, empathize with my grief, read me an encouraging Scripture, and pray with me.

The apostle Paul was given a thorn in the flesh. Yet he was also given great gifts. I find this to be true of many of my friends who have a hidden illness. We know from Scripture that we live in a fallen world; there will be suffering. Yet His grace is sufficient for all our need. I sometimes wonder if our thorns are there to humble us. Perhaps we would be too proud if God never pushed us to our knees.

“And He [Jesus] has said to me [Paul], ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 1 Corinthians 12:9-10

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” - Psalm 34:19

I recently posted on facebook at around three in the morning that, again, I couldn’t get to sleep. Out flowed streams of well-intentioned advice from far and wide. Everyone had a remedy. But I’ve talked to the doctors, done the research, etc. I have excellent “sleep hygiene” and I’m on a prescription med for sleep. Yet there are nights when I do everything right and it still doesn’t work. There are some things in this world that Can’t. Be. Fixed. And we need to accept that. When lying awake in the middle of the night, I often use the time to pray for others. More importantly, God is humbling me through this regular reminder of my weakness. Not just my strength, but my every breath is dependent on Him, and I need to remember that. Afflictions push us to our knees. And we are to thank God for that!

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” - Romans 12:12

No matter how we are suffering, Christ is our strength and sufficiency. He gives us songs in the night.

God is faithful,
j

As always, I welcome your comments below.