July 8th, 2020: God's Fathful and Gentle care
A friend invited me out for lunch to celebrate my belated my
birthday. We have not seen one another for more than four months. We
talked about many things that have happened since we last met and how
God has answered our prayers. I know her and her brother for more than
15 years now. Her brother was in a motorcycle accident fifteen years
ago, and he was severely hurt both physically and neurologically. He has
become angrier and more violent during the last few years. The accident
damaged his metal capacity severely. He developed some form of
paranoia. We talked about him during our visit with one another in Feb,
so it was natural that he came up in our conversation this time.
She
shared with me that she and some good friends decided to commit a day
of prayer and fasting for him. They were asking God for new a sense of
peace in her brother's life. He had been angry and suspicious about
everyone. He had been arrested by the police many times. He had not been
able to receive proper care from the mental health authority.
She
said he has calmed down quite a lot, and the family is now able to have
a conversation with him. He is now getting some good help from medical
people. She feels like they finally have advocates in the healthcare
system to work with him. It has been a moment of hope for everyone. His
parents saw their son's promising life disappeared in one quick moment
when he was about 21. They were not happy that he bought a motorcycle,
to begin with. Now he lives with a physically broken body and a
tormented mind.
As I listened to her, I learned
once again the mystery of God's gentle care in human suffering. He is
not indifferent, and miracles still happen. She is full of love for her
brother even though he was very mean to her during the last few years.
She is full of hope for him in terms of peace and comfort by God's
presence. Have you ever experienced both joys and ache at the same time?
That is part of the journey we have with God in our life, one that
filled with excitement and headaches.
It was a
good birthday gift. I can't ask for a better than gift than the
conversation we had. Life is full when we walk with others in pain and
suffering. It is empty when we live selfishly. I am 62, and I still
desire that fullness of life ahead.
Matthew 11: 28-30
