Wow the title to this post is just depressing. But it is what we are reading about as we get ready to wrap up the book. Debbie is dying and it is very sad. I feel their pain and I cry as I read (yes 2nd time crying). Denver still amazes me with the wisdom that he possesses. I truly believe that God brings people in our lives at just the right times (like Denver, Debbie & Ron) because he knows exactly when we will need them most. So I have a couple things I want to touch on in this post before we wrap things up in the next couple of days.
Denver gives a talk to Ron about the set of keys God gives us in life and what we choose to do with them. I think he puts it beautifully in how so many times we walk on by or ignore moments when we could make a difference: “Many folks had seen me behind the bars in that prison for more than thirty years, and they just walked on by. Kept their keys in their pocket and left me locked up.” “But Miss Debbie was different – she seen me behind them bars and reached way down in her pocket and pulled out the keys God gave her and used one to unlock the prison door and set me free.” Have you been using the keys God gave you to help set others free? Have you set yourself free? Did someone help you?
I want to post the questions from the back of the book on sickness and suffering:
1) Bad things happen to good people. What might God be trying to reveal about Himself through these types of situations?
2) Recognizing our mortality puts life in perspective. What are three things for which you want to be remembered? What are you doing to accomplish these goals today?
3) Refresh your memory of the Book of Job. Through all of his pain, Job remained faithful to God. What can you do to cultivate that kind of faith in your everyday life?
What happens to Debbie is terrible. I feel so awful for Ron, Denver and her family. If you have experienced this kind of loss, I'm sorry. I pray that you open yourself up to receive God's comforting arms. I think Denver did a good job in chapter 44 articulating an answer to why sometimes we can't understand when God takes someone we love so dearly, "God calls some good ones like Miss Debbie home so He can accomplish His purpose down here on the earth." I know it's not something easy to understand or grasp but God will help us get through it.
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1 comment:
Great post Amber. Here are my answers:
1.Not long after we got here, we went to First Presbyterian Church. I think that the very first sermon we heard there was on this very matter.What I remember from the sermon is that those hard times that we Christians go through are some of the most important times of our Christian lives. That is the time when we have the best stage to present God's LOVE and GRACE. When others know that we are going through those oh, so difficult times, yet we profess our faith in God, it often speaks more than when we sit down in the prime of our life with others and directly tell about God' love.
2. Believe it or not, I've actually thought about this one! I want to be remembered as someone who loved life and lived it fully and exuberantly. I want to be remembered for being just a little bit quirky and as someone who LOVED.
3.This one, I really need to work on. However, earlier this year, I was going through a little rough patch and remembered to just pray, pray, pray and talk to God about it. He answered my prayers in a way that was very direct, but a little different from what I wanted, but I went with it. I let myself have Faith in his plan. That's what I want to do more of... pray and then have faith in what God's plan really is, and to accept it and live it out.
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