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To: JAG 5000
Ask anybody who has lost a child. You never really "get over it." The Lord can lead you out of grief, but the feeling of loss may still be there. C.S. Lewis, in his book called A Grief Observed, that he wrote when dealing with the death of his wife says it best.

"Getting over it so soon? But the words are ambiguous. To say the patient is getting over it after an operation for appendicitis is one thing; after he's had his leg off it is quite another. After that operation either the wounded stump heals or the man dies.

If it heals, the fierce, continuous pain will stop. Presently he'll get back his strength and be able to stump about on his wooden leg. He has 'got over it.' But he will probably have recurrent pains in the stump all his life, and perhaps pretty bad ones; and he will always be a one-legged man.

There will be hardly any moment when he forgets it. Bathing, dressing, sitting down and getting up again, even lying in bed, will all be different. His whole way of life will be changed. All sorts of pleasures and activities that he once took for granted will have to be simply written off. Duties too. At present I am learning to get about on crutches. Perhaps I shall presently be given a wooden leg. But I shall never be a biped again. "

I, personally, don't like the implication that "pain" or "suffering" always has an end, and we recover in a certain amount of time, or in our lives. That's just not true in the lives of many Christians who have progressive diseases like a neurological disease, ALS, for instance, or cancer, etc. Their suffering is not ended in this life.

There is a release, but it won't be this side of heaven.

These verses say it best. It's the end of the "by faith" heroes chapter in Hebrews 11 where one after another were delivered by faith and whose lives were saved:

Hebrews 11:

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

7 posted on 02/27/2021 9:44:34 AM PST by dawn67yo
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To: dawn67yo

AFter Job was restored by the Lord, imagine how he felt the next time he heard a storm coming. Imagine how he felt when he heard rumors of invading gangs. It would be hard to not get afraid.


8 posted on 02/27/2021 1:18:26 PM PST by aimhigh (THIS is His commandment . . . . 1 John 3:23)
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