My wife got flu. She doesn't get sick easily, but when she does, she suffers pretty bad.
As I see her suffering, I almost said to her, "Honey, think about it. Everything passes. You won't be suffering in a couple of days. This moment will never come back. Let's enjoy this precious moment." But I couldn't say it. I thought about Job. When he got horrible sick, many of his friends visited him, and spoke to him. Some wanted to give encouragement, or some internal guidance of wisdom, I believe, with a pretty good intention. But they were not well received by Job. It is difficult, when you are in a midst of suffering, to receive words. So, what can I do?
Then I asked myself, "Are you enjoying this moment?" Of course it is not such a pleasant thing to see my wife suffering in a sickbed, coughing and throwing up. Am I myself really thinking that this moment will pass, it is so precious moment, I must enjoy this? Yes, I realized that this is my chance, as well as my challenge. The test is that how I can enjoy this moment. Of course by myself, there's no point to enjoy it. But if I use this moment to come closer to God even a little bit, then this moment will become unforgettable moment with God. I remember someone said to me, "When you see your wife suffering in a sickbed, instead of dwelling in a sad feeling, you should think of God, and pray; God, when you have been guiding this human history, how many times you have to see your children, especially those who loved you and pledged to follow you, having had to go through many sufferings? --not only being sick but also being hungry, and even being tortured and burned. How have you been feeling at those moments? How much your heart must have been painful and broken as their loving parent? And especially when they cried and anguished and complained, resented... how much your heart must have been broken?" When I prayed that way, then naturally, my difficult heart would be touched by God's heart, I would be liberated from my painful situation, and then genuine love and desire to comfort God would come out somewhere from the deep part of my inside. And I could enjoy such communion with God, which cannot happen so easily without being pushed into certain situation.
Therefore, there is a way to enjoy the most horrible moment. Of course, it is not automatic, it requires lot of our creativity, and you cannot do it for someone else. Therefore, as always, the only question is what I do. How do I respond to my life's situation with using my creativity.
So I thought about Job. He was in such agonized situation, but he never gave up, and finally his heart was liberated when he was touched by God's huge love and heart. But nobody else could do it for him. I am always amazed to see this point--that's why you are so precious to God, because you are the only one who can do that...
Sunday, February 22, 2009
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