Bitter or Better?

8/28/14

I have been off the grid for a while but I’m very grateful to be back.  I had a health scare earlier this month but that’s not the full reason for my absence.  I wrote this blog several weeks ago, but because I was feeling a little defeated I let it just sit in my documents section.

I have been in this health care battle for a year but wasn’t quite ready to raise the white flag in full defeat all I knew was something had to change.  Prayers upon, prayers upon prayers went up by me and by intercessors and in the midst of the battle I felt like I was JOB sitting in the ashes, waiting for an answer from GOD with my faith intact, but there was no answer to be found.  I was perplexed but not in despair.  2 Corinthians 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.

Everyone has a favorite Bible story and if I took a poll I’d get many different answers on what your favorite story is.  Is it the story of Esther? David & Goliath? Abraham & Sarah? Noah? or any of the numerous others we’ve read about?  But at the end of the poll count, I can say for sure without a doubt, the book of Job wouldn’t be one of the top ten.  The book of Job is like the relative that no one talks about or like the elephant in the room. The book possesses a delicate subject that no one wants to talk or think about-SUFFERING. 

On the surface, Job looks like a story of doom and groom. There is nothing heroic in his suffering, yet GOD chose to add this book to HIS word for many lessons to be learned.  Many scholars think that Job is the oldest book in the Bible. 

In our humanness we don’t want to think about sadness or suffering, loss or devastation, or illness or death.  We don’t like thinking about these things because we’d have to think about the possibility that these things could happen to us.  How many times have we turned on the news and saw something horrible that has happened and we heard someone say, “I just didn’t think this could happen to me.”

If you’d asked me 2 1/2 years ago if I thought that I’d go through my Job experience, I’d tell say you were wrong.  But it happened.  In the past 2 1/2 years my body has gone through attacks, affliction and trauma like no other time in my life.  5 hospitalizations, 2 surgeries within 4 months of each other, pain, multiple medications, multiple tests, and more medications, more pain, multiple diagnosis identified and other issues yet to be determined.   There was a time during this past year that the pain was so bad that I woke up in pain and went to bed in pain.  I couldn’t remember what it felt like not to be in pain.  All of this along with extreme fatigue and poor endurance took its toll, some of which I continue to go through.

And there’s more.  I became unemployed, all of my savings/retirement fund and my smaller rainy day fund has been exhausted, disability payments ending and then more traumas to my body, disabled for a time (year as of 9/6/14) and now still unemployed.  When Job was going through all that he went through, his friends were wondering what he’d done and was condemning him for sins they thought he’d committed.  I’m not sure what my friends are thinking or saying but I have remained faithful in my service, my tithes, my praise and worship and love for my brother.  Yet I remain in this Job experience.

I’ve cried out to GOD and have talked to HIM and like Job I am wondering, when will this end?  How long with this last?  When will I be delivered?  No answer has come yet.  I’m reminded in the midst of all of this that the Bible acknowledges that good people will suffer as the evildoers do.  We don’t get a free pass.

Why am I in this Job experience?  No one knows but GOD.  Unfortunately, suffering in all forms, is a part of life and it’s the hardest thing to understand.  The one thing I do understand is that the enemy plays a heavy role in bringing forth suffering in the lives of believers.    

When we read the story of Job we have to read it like we read the book of Revelation.  We know the end of the story there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and there’s a silver lining.  In the case of Job GOD restored to him what he’d lost.  Job at one point was angry, frustrated and was feeling down but he never cursed GOD.  He endured.  The story of Job is one that most people think of as a story of learning to become patient.  “The patience of Job” is a well-known quote but there’s an even greater lesson to be learned we have to have faith and trust GOD in the face of our trials.  Job set this example and what an example he was.    

ln being in the midst of this Job experience I’ve also chosen to continue to believe GOD.  Job was restored when he began to pray for his friends.  Job 42:10: After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.  I too have continued to pray for my friends and those in need of intercessory prayer.  There’s something about putting your circumstances on the back burner and bring to the forefront the needs of others that makes your issues insignificant. 

Job emerged victorious; he came through the darkness into the light.  There is always a key to our learning process in any spiritual trial.  Each trial gives us an opportunity to get up close and personal with GOD and to really get to know HIM, and not just get to know more about HIM.  When we go through things it’s easy to become angry and bitter, but it’s GOD’s will for us to become better.  If you’re in your Job experience or going through a trial at this time then you have a choice to make will you become bitter or better?

Oh by the way, GOD is faithful (as always), as of Tuesday, August 26^th, I am no longer unemployed.  I start work next Tuesday, 3 days a week (my choice and MD orders) using wisdom not to overtax my body.  I will be doing something I’m good at but also I will be doing something new and exciting.  I can’t wait.  I have no doubt that in GOD’s timing everything I lost will be restored including my health and I’ll be back to 5 days a week or who knows, maybe this is the time to build the dreams and visions that GOD gave me with in my Patient Advocacy division which was put on hold during this Job experience.  All I know is restoration has already begun.  Hallelujah!  Restoration can also begin for you.  KEEP THE FAITH! GREATER IS COMING.  LISTEN TO THIS.   (hold control and click with left mouse)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOfbomJQZQw

GOD BLESS.