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Reflection by Julie M. Julie has suffered intense pain while fighting cancer for more than 15 years. One of the challenges she’s faced is a nearly-complete inability to sleep. We look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith… and by suffering well in sickness or disease or prosperity or poverty or hardship or pain, we are able to bring comfort to others who are tested… How is it possible to remember God when suffering extreme physical pain? By…

reflection by Tony K. My sense of loss and suffering is related mainly to familial relationships, including those with my own sons, which have been lost or broken through mental illness, drugs/alcohol, incarceration, and abandonment. This hurts my heart, mostly. Loss is something that comes up in my thoughts daily, not necessarily as an obstruction to moving forward with life, but as brief moments of sadness. This sometimes happens when I look at the success of others, particularly around relationships…

reflection by Kathi G. We do not expect the baby to live more than 24 hours. The baby was our daughter Jessie who had, just hours before, been born with a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 13. My pregnancy had gone full term with no indications of any problems until Jessie entered the world. From the moment I saw her it was obvious that something severe and serious was happening. But I never thought we’d lose our little girl so…

a reflection by Jessy W. On February 9th, 2023, my third-born son Joshua was delivered via emergency C-section at 26 weeks and 4 days old when I had a placental abruption. By a miracle of God, both of our lives were spared and he was delivered safely and transferred to the NICU where we expected him to stay for the next 11 weeks or so.  But over the next several days, he unexpectedly experienced several complications due to prematurity. On…

reflection by Larry T. I’ve learned a lot past two years. In 2021 I got Covid, spent 12 days in the hospital, 5 days in ICU, lost 30 pounds in 2 weeks. When I finally came home, I was completely helpless. I couldn’t get out of bed on my own or do anything on my own. My wife had to do everything. I used a walker and was on oxygen for 7 weeks. Early in my slow recovery I was…

This is part 2 of an interview conducted by Nathan Oates with Eric C. in Feb. 2024. If you missed the previous post, part 1, please start there. E: I was losing my ability with my right arm. I thought it was carpal tunnel. July 6, 2022 was the last day I ever ran… All of that was ALS. But even then I thought, “God, if you want me to continue running or to continue in school you must give…

The following reflection is the first of two from an interview of Eric C. by Nathan Oates recorded on February 12, 2024: This is what God has for me…not that he gave ALS to me… but it is for his glory… N. What have you learned through this experience?E. Our bodies have a life…we all have a battery…we’re losing charge. We’re all going to die. I’ve learned to be grateful for every breath I have because ultimately ALS will take…

a reflection by Heather N. Suffering. It is unavoidable. It is tethered to the human experience. Suffering looks different for each individual, but it is inevitable. For me, suffering looks like severe childhood trauma; it looks like a dysfunctional and emotionally abusive relationship; it looks like a physical expression of pain from an imploding emotional state. For you, maybe suffering is so much bigger, or not as intense, but to each person their suffering is excruciating and no one can…