I thought of writing this privately, as not everyone would be
interested. But some might, so I guess anyone who is not interested can hit
the "delete" button. :-)
After I read your last note, I wanted to write and recommend a book
entitled A Path Through Suffering. It was written by Elisabeth Elliot, who
lost her first husband as a missionary in Ecuador. There was a tribe of
Indians he and four others were trying to make new contact with. They thought
they had established friendly contact, but in a short while the five of them
were killed by these Indians. (Later Elisabeth, her 2 yr. old daughter, and
the sister of one of the other men did actually go and live with this same
tribe. A fascinating story, told in the book Through Gates of Splendor.)
Later she did return to the states, remarried, and lost this husband to a
painful death from cancer. Because she had become somewhat well known from
her books and because of the sorrow she had known, many people wrote to her
their own tales of suffering. A lot of those are included in this book. She
has an appendix in the back with a list of reasons given in the Scripture for
suffering. One of these is from John 15, in which Jesus said: "I am the true
vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch
that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."
I'm not good with plants, but I am told there are at least some plants
that need pruning or cutting back in order to grow more fully, and that
involves sometimes cutting away what seems like perfectly good branches or
blossoms. I had one hanging plant that was some sort of viney thing, and the
instructions said to "pinch back" new growth. I didn't do that, or at least
not enough, and after a while it looked pretty dead except for one or two
vines that had no growth from the container several inches down the vine, but
then had new growth the last few inches of the vine. It was still alive, but
looked pretty deformed. It probably could've been rescued if I'd known what
to do with it. But, to make a spiritual parallel, sometimes God "prunes" us
in some way to allow for spiritual growth that could not have taken place
otherwise.
I also wanted to send the words of a hymn that had meant a lot to me.
It's funny, I was thinking of this hymn recently in connection with a friend
who had an agonizing two week wait between a biopsy and the test results.
That wait would be hard anyway, but this friend has an especially hard time
with waiting and patience. As I thought back over the words to this song, it
dawned on me that it perfectly fit my situation, too. Wish I could send the
music, too, but I hope the words are a blessing to you.
Day by Day
by Lina Sandell Berg
Trans. by Andrew L. Skoog
Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best--
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then in ev'ry tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation
Offered me withing Thy holy word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
Wishing you all the best,
Barbara