I am a Christian "but"...... how do some of you do it??

I have been in your shoes....
God bless...

perhaps it's not His role
There was an article last year in the New York Times about how a fighting spirit won't save your life in terms of diseases like cancer, that it's more about science and body chemistry that determines the outcome. In response, a pastor shared his thoughts and I thought I post it here (you can find the original article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/opinion/25sloan.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=a fighting spirit won’t save your life&st=cse)

To the Editor:

Richard P. Sloan’s rational and compassionate analysis of the scientific evidence is a boon to all who live with illness and feel that they are somehow to blame if they do not recover.

While it is true that optimism and positive thinking cannot overcome illness, it is also true that religious hope and trust in God do not ensure recovery. Belief in a loving God is a source of comfort and strength for millions of people when they are faced with illness. Yet just as “the rain falls on the just and the unjust,” so, too, illness comes to the believer and the unbeliever alike.

None of the great religions of the world promise protection from the vicissitudes of life. Instead, they teach us to care for one another when trouble strikes.

In my ministry I have counseled hundreds of people who are racked with guilt because they feel that their faith was not strong enough to bring healing. Pray for strength and healing, yes, but recognize that not everything that happens is God’s will. To borrow a phrase, linking health to personal faith is not only bad science, it’s also bad religion.

(Rev.) David W. Spollett
Fairfield, Conn., Jan. 26, 2011

Its hard not to be angry..........
When I was diagnosed I was in shock. When I collected my thoughts, I prayed for God to be with me in this trial. I spent a lot of time thanking God for the BLESSINGS in my life. My wife, children, grandchildren, my freedom, my opportunities, my community, my friends, my customers, ....... on and on. I think you get my message. God Bless....

Gerry

jgwright said:

I Don't Blame You, But...
Remember that Jesus said that Satan is "The god of this world (or system of things)." And it was due to Adam's sin that all are imperfect and fall short of the glory of God. Looking around at EVERYTHING, it's pretty obvious that Satan is ruling. What a mess. And due to our imperfection, crap like esophageal cancer can come our way. It isn't God's fault, but he can be a support if we let him. Y'know, that IS one of the reasons that God sent Jesus to Earth to be a redeemer and give us a chance.

A friend of mine said, "If death and resurrection was good enough for Jesus, I guess it ought to be good enough for me."

Still it hurts and it makes us angry. This system is a big mess, and we get to be part of it. Hurrah for us.

--Jerry

Hi Chrissie,

I don’t know where you are in your walk with God, and I don’t think that my faith is any stronger than anybody else’s but I have learned a few things along the way.

Some things to remember about the God of the Bible:
Omnipotence has its limits and there are many things that God cannot do. He cannot go against His nature, He cannot lie. The world God made is good in its original design and that includes freedom of choice. That choice is what brought sin into the world. The effects of sin are visiting themselves randomly on creation; this includes cancer, earthquakes, tornados, and a million other things. God could prevent the effects of sin; but normally He allows broken creation to go on as it is. God promises to be there for us, all we need to do is turn to Him.

It’s important for us as Christians to remember that God allows challenging circumstances in our lives for a reason. Our job is to trust Him and learn what He wants to do in and through us. One purpose of a difficult circumstance is that God wants us to be aware of our utter dependence on Him. Far from abandoning us when we go through difficult times, God moves towards us. Never forget this: if God allows your life to become hard, His motivation is always love. He loves you. The goal of all your pain is your restoration to a deeper sense of His love. But keep in mind that this is biblical love – a love that is willing to take you through a valley to get you to the hilltop.

When we talk about the blessings and benefits of being followers of Christ, we often focus on a misplaced confidence that nothing bad, hard, or hurtful will happen to us. Hard things definitely happen to faithful people. The superiority of a life lived in Christ isn’t superior because it’s pain-free or easy; it’s superior because it approaches the hard parts of life with joy and hope. Our hope must be based on Christ’s presence in our lives rather than on our current circumstances. Difficult circumstances teach us how to rely on God and how to persevere in faith. Pain requires that we respond, not based on the feeling of the moment but on continuing reliance on God through prayer.

Some scripture that is helpful:
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Romans 8:28
Hebrews 12:5-11
James 1:2-8
1 Peter 4:1-19
Job 23:10

Remember that David poured out his heart to God through the Psalms. Jeremiah was considered the crying prophet when he saw his people being taken captive and poured out his anguish in Lamentations. Paul had a thorn and boasted in his weakness. For me, going through this beast with my husband brought me closer to God than I had ever been before. My time in the Word is deeper and more meaningful than before. And my prayer life is stronger and more focused. He definitely used this experience to refine me. If you have any questions, or you just want to talk, please feel free to PM me. You are not alone, although I know that sometimes it feels that way.

Laura
wife to Luis
Diagnosed 4/11 T3N1M0
MIE 8/30/11

Tina Blondek said:

Thinking of You
Hi Chrissie
I agree with all the others and their posts. We too are Christians. I want you to remember that GOD did not create Cancer. GOD did not create the pain and suffering it causes. It is the other guy....you know....SATAN who does this dirty work. GOD is there to help and comfort us. Come to me all that trevail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Believe in GOD. Keep your faith.
Tina in Va

I have no fear
I have had a serious heart condition for 13 years, and I have been very close to death on two occasions with this. On each occasion, I wasn't consciously aware of how sick I was, but I had an overwhelming feeling of peace. I also was surrounded by my family, on the first occasion my dead mother and on the second, my brother, in spirit. Now I know this sounds fanciful, and to some people that I am a nutter, but believe me the feelings were very real. I also belong to a heart support group where survivors of Sudden Cardiac Arrest have shared their experiences, and they report a very similar experience.

I am not a Christian nor do I adhere to any other organized religion or am involved in spiritualism. These are purely personal experiences. I am confident that if I die, I will continue on in some form, and it will be peaceful. I often reminisce about this 'peaceful' feeling and long for it to return. It was so profound.

So whether the afterlife is that of the Christian Belief or some other belief, I am positive that it is there, that there is life after death and that it is one of peace. I live a good life, and love and care for those around me. I suppose you could call me a humanist, that has experienced a profound spiritual revelation, but it did not have anything to do with any organized religion. I cope on a daily basis with whatever is placed before me with confidence, and as for the pain, cure or death, that is where I put my trust in the medical profession. I know that if I do die, I will be at peace, and death holds no fears for me at all.

chrissiebass said:

wow!
Thank you guys for your replies, I am glad I am not alone, I feel so guilty for feeling this way!! William, I know just what you mean about a 5 yr old comming through the door!! My daughter is 5, but I have 3 boys, 22,20,17. She is by far the most... cant think of the right word... energetic?? Enjoy your time with them, as we all on this board realize, time is precious. Looking forward to your response though....

chrissie
dad stage iv

you mentioned Job
I am not a christian ( you could call me a recovered christian) but I am familiar with the book of Job and the story of this guy who had absolutely everything go wrong. After my husband was in the hospital for a 52 day stretch that started with a routine esophagectomy and ended up being 5 separate surgeries, etc, etc, I started feeling like I was Mrs Job.

Each time the surgeon/doctor said to us, "well, the odds are 7 out of 1000 that this could happen" (bad news) my husband would be one of those 7.
I got really tired of the statistics, because we always lost. Proved once again that it was a good thing that we were not gamblers.

Every one of us has to die. Your father is going out with EC. It is very sad and hard for all of us to watch our loved ones die. but die they will and so will we.

Try to find the goodness in each day. When he is down remind him what he has to be thankful for. YOU do the same for yourself. Hopefully that will help.

Court_Ren said:

I tell you what. I am a
I tell you what. I am a christian as well, but it is ok to be pissed. If you hold all of that in it is just destructive. My husband's health is failing. He was diagnosed almost a year ago Stage 4. They say " God only gives you what you can handle" You will find yourself thinking " Yeah right, why why is he letting this happen" I can only tell you what I see in my own life. It has made my family stronger, and even though it sucks watching your loved one suffer, just know that someday they won't be suffering anymore, cause he had bigger plans for them. I am not sure why they have to go through what they do, but that is one thing you will never have an answer for. So be angry, get it out, and then toughen up. Dry your tears and help your loved one fight like hell. I will be praying for you hun. I am only 29 years old and have a beautiful 7 year old girl who is going to loose her daddy, and it pisses me off everyday. But I am strong, and I have turned into Super Woman cause I have had to. God is there even thought you may not feel like it I promise he is. God bless, and if you ever want to talk you can PM me.

God doesn't give only what you can handle, it's not true
Some of us can handle it, some of us can't. People lose it all the time. Some people never heal from their wounds.