Today I visited my friend with stage 4 cancer who is struggling immensely with chronic pain, the poverty associated with a catastrophic illness, and the overwhelming discouragement of life where everything seems to fight against you. She's has battled clinical depression and suicidal thoughts for over 30 years; now facing death she deeply longs to continue living. To be perfectly honest, I myself have been battling depression lately as my daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor within the past month. Wondering about whether she might live or die in her last year high school year was beyond discouraging. Not having any solid answers from the doctors makes it worse. While we trudge through the minefield of life with one explosion after another wounding us, it is often easy to lose sight of our eternal hope because we are overcome by the darkness of depression. My beautiful friend reminded me how being in the refining fire like gold is preparing us for better things and to keep hope alive in my heart. Seriously, I said to her, "I don't care about being pure gold, or having pure faith... I don't mind being partly corrupted or tainted, just so long as this fire stops now." She laughed and said, "Sharon, but we must go through it. God has a better plan; you will see." Intrinsically I know I can't stop the fire or the trial, but neither do I truly want to continue through it either. The pain is too intense at times. Yep, this is the crappy part of life, where we have to remind ourselves and each other that thanks to Jesus, this is as close to hell as we will ever experience. Heaven is waiting when we are through finished. The glory prepared for us will be eternal, and this shall pass away, no longer to be remembered. I admit, it's not easy to say some days, and at times it's even hard to remember, but any present evil in your life will stop. It will not last into eternity. You and I will be free of the pain, the sorrow, and the burdens of this life because Jesus lives and made a way for us to enter in to His Kingdom.
For I know that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
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Sharon Aubrey
An Alaskan Author, Prospector, Homeschool Teacher, Ordained Minister, I welcome your comments! Before you post, please see my
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