I have recently befriended a young man who has really inspired me. I’ll call him Joe, and it has taken me several months to get over the willies whenever I see him. Joe was in a terrible car wreck, he was hit from behind. His car exploded and he is burned from his head to his toes. He doesn’t look too good. Every once in a while he has an operation to correct something. He needs a lot of correcting. He has a bump on his forehead that he covers with a hat. He must have hit his head on the steering wheel. He took his hat off the other day… all I can say is I hope the doctor’s can help him.
I’m telling you this to show you how much suffering Joe has been through. And how much more suffering he has yet to face. But he is amazing. He comes to Boy Scout meetings, which is where I met him, and volunteers to help the boys on their badges. He was just up at Boy Scout summer camp chaperoning last week. He never complains and he is never down. If I were in his shoes I would be paralyzed with depression. But he is living his life. The tragedy that occurred hasn’t stopped him from doing the important things. And one of those things is helping the boys at his old scout troop. Simply amazing.
And do you know why I say it is amazing? Because this young man – and he is only 20 years old – is surely blessed. He is blessed because he is living a blessed life in the midst of tragedy. The obvious problem with this statement is that we define blessings as health, wealth, and long life. But Joe is missing the health part of the equation. There are other instances in which this equation doesn’t work. I remember reading a quote from J. Paul Getty that said how miserable his life was. He had reasonably good health, lived a long time, and was fabulously wealthy, but he said he was never happy. And when I read about his family troubles, I could see why. His bio is not a life of blessing.
Jesus talks about suffering in his Discourse on Job starting on page 1662. He argues that suffering moves people to search for God. That even though God does not want His children to suffer so, the benefit is that we will cry out for God and He will answer. Jesus says; “Do you not comprehend that God dwells within you, that he has become what you are that he may make you what he is!” The trials of life prod us to look into the light which is already shining within our hearts. I believe Joe has found the blessing within, because he is a blessing to those around him. Others have not looked and so do not find the blessing despite health, wealth, and long life.
I pray for Joe regularly. I pray he will be healed. It will take a miracle. But I think a miracle has already happened, it’s just not so obvious. The miracle of finding God and sharing what you have found with others. Oh if only more of us struggling children could find such good from bad.
God Bless You,
William Whitehead
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