Appreciating What Suffering Teaches – Part 10: Readings – 2
My amputation showed me the unbalanced emphasis our society puts on our physical bodies. Many of my friends thought that if they were in my shoes—or shoe, I should say—they would have withdrawn. Girlfriends on my track team asked, “Becki, since you were so athletic, how can you have your leg taken away and not be angry?”
I responded, “Well, sure, I loved having two legs, but that’s not the most important thing to me. If anything, my body often distracted me. Now it’s easier to see that what truly matters is my relationship with God, how I’m living and who I’m loving.”
Many of my friends knew I was a Christian. They also knew my dad was a pastor, which in itself was sort of a stigma. But I let my friends know that my beliefs were my own and not imposed by my dad. They knew that church and Campus Life were also important to me.
Some of my friends had ignored the spiritual side of me because they weren’t Christians. After I lost my leg, they began to say, “You’re different. Why aren’t you reacting to your amputation like I would?”
Finally, they listened as I told them about my faith in Jesus Christ and that I was living for something much more lasting than what I was physically. “My relationship with Christ gives me a higher purpose than just what I could accomplish with my physical body,” I said. “After all, I have given my life to God; it was really His leg that was lost, not mine.”
I knew God had answered prayers for my healing. He had healed me—emotionally. Incredibly, I never experienced serious depression or anger over my amputation. Incredible to me and unbelievable to everyone else! Only my family and close friends knew I wasn’t acting. People, from the very first day, tried to talk me into anger or tell me I was in denial. People urged me to “get in touch with my feelings.” I was and my feelings were fine!
I know this attitude was God’s doing, because I know myself! I don’t usually say, “O.K. Praise the Lord, and pass the potatoes!” I’m not a hokey Christian whose frothy faith glides me through any circumstance. I usually give God a fight or at least a quiz before I yield to His ultimate power and authority. This was an extraordinary reaction from me, but God never told us life with Him would be ordinary.
Shortly after my surgery, I had to choose a book for an English-class report. Since I had been impressed by Joni when I met her in person, I decided to read her book. Her attitudes strongly molded the way I dealt with my disability. I remember thinking, “I can learn from her times of anger and depression so that maybe I won’t go through all of that. Maybe I can skip to be where her life was at the end of the book when she could see God using her disability. I want this amputation to be something positive.”
I realized my disability could by no means compare to her quadriplegia, which affects much more of life than an amputation. But I saw that her attitudes applied to my situation. Her life dramatically affected mine, especially in how she wanted to praise the Lord by everything she did.
_________________________
What God Gives When Life Takes, Becki Conway Sanders, Jim and Sally Conway, InterVarsity Press, pages 90-92.
——————————————–
Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?
Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?
David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.
We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
