Encouragement 4 The Day: "You will love again..."

I came across a posting “Cancer kiss-off: Getting dumped after diagnosis” an article which primarily discussed women who were deserted after being diagnosed with cancer.   One participant to the article mentioned coming home after her first radiation treatment only to discover an empty house-her husband had just UP and LEFT her! (I know of no better way to convey my sentiments)

I could only imagine the immeasurable pain and disappointment now coupled with the fear of a compounded unknown. Modern day Jobs…that’s what came to mind. This poem was written after a friend informed me of her divorce and I think/hope that it’s appropriate in this case also.

I used to think that the phrase “Time does heal” was so cliché but indeed it is true. Time may not cure but it does foster healing.

You Will Love Again

You promised forever and today

Your ‘forever’ is gone.

Allow your heart to heal from its pain.

And it will heal.

It’s larger and stronger than you believe.

Leave it open.

Employ love,

Not pain to speak your story.

You have loved before…

In time,

You will love,

And be loved again.

Encouragement 4 The Day-"When God answers a question with one of His Own."

Aside from turning Job’s focus away from himself, I never understood why God answered Job in the manner in which He did when He finally decided to acknowledge his cries. I felt as if He (God) was being rather hateful, arrogant and unsympathetic towards Job’s plight. Did Job not have the right to ask “Why?” Here was a man who had been careful not to sin, petitioned before God everyday for his children, befriended the poor and less fortunate and not only was his behind being kicked up one street and down the next, but his friends were harassing him with their accusations. Job held out for seven days and after the seventh day he wanted to die. Not only was he in emotional pain, but he was suffering physically and spiritually because he could not find God. If there ever was a hell on earth…this was it!

Still, when God finally answered Job He seemingly lashed out. Now don’t get me wrong. God being God had every right to retaliate but here again, I could not reconcile this reaction with the painted picture of a loving parent and a child. After all, how many of us sinful parents, if a child cried out in pain, would not acknowledge them and when we finally did, would not then lovingly answer as to why we’d taken so long to respond. Only the sadist personality would react unkindly…so why this seemingly unkind reaction from God?

The answer in my opinion lies in Job’s reaction to this onslaught of questions. He HUMBLES himself! Me? I probably would have flared up with self-righteousness indignation and begin rattling off the reasons why I DID NOT deserve this treatment. But Job, he humbled himself. I would love to hypothesize that God responded in this manner to establish yet another example for us-that Job still loved Him even though the very nature of His response could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. How like a child…that rare humility.

Unless you become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 18:3)

“May God, instill in us the desire to become more childlike…always loving, always forgiving. In Jesus’ name-Amen”