How do you suffer?

There have been many books written about suffering but lately I have come across several people who I would say suffer well!

This post is about them.

The first is a little boy who's brother plays on Val's soccer team. Yesterday when the game was over, he decided that he was going to push me in my wheel chair. Well he is a very little boy who is always smiling, I am not sure what ailment he is suffering with but he always has that smile. It really does seem that no matter what, children always suffer better than adults! Anyway the grass was wet and he had me put on my seat belt and off we went. He pushed my back and I used my feet and off we went. I wish you could have heard him laugh! When we stopped for a break, he put his arms around my neck and said "I love you!" Just that little trip over the wet grass made my suffering seem like sunshine on that rainy day! God put him there to bring a little joy into my life.

Another is a friend who is suffering with MS. Now she is the first person that I have ever known with MS but she is always in a good mood. I am sure that there are bad times but I don't see them. She has 3 kids and is always involved whether it is a soccer game or a school project. She works hard keeping her MS under control, she loves to ride bikes and stays physical active. She knows that there may come a day when she is unable to run around and ride her bike, but for now, she smiles, a big smile and is always helping others. I know that she is suffering, but I'm my eyes, she is suffering with a smile!

How do you suffer? I can honestly say that I don't always suffer well. there are many tears and I can get frustrated very easily, I want to be the "old Terri" who could tackle anything, play golf, water ski, plant my flowers and take walks with my husband. then I think about other around me. I have two friends with cancer, one with MS, that little boy from soccer and I should take my eyes off myself and help and pray for them. These are only a few, I am sure that we could all fill pages of those we know who are suffering, this broken world is full of suffering so lets help them suffer well.

"For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows" 2 Corinthians 1:5

My we make our sufferings lite as we see others who suffer and remember the suffering that Christ did for us.

Suffer Well ;) No matter what your plight, suffer well! It will always make someone else's suffering easier :) Comfort them and help them touch the heart of God

A Chaotic World

I have been told that I am not a very good blogger, that a good blogger blogs every day, so I will try to do better!

What is your definition of a chaotic world? Is it the kids are running around every where and their room is a mess or are you running the kids around everywhere for various sports or music or other activities? Is it listening to all the gloom and doom on the news and feeling out of control? Do we feel that our government is out of control and how can we change things? Is your laundry piling up, there are dishes in the sink and you just want to go to bed? Is is a financial chaos, a health chaos, a marriage chaos?

I truly believe that the definition of chaos is different for everyone. My best friend has 8 children from the ages of 2 to 15 (two sets of twins in there), you may stop by her house on any given day and it will seem a little chaotic. However, that is the most organized chaos I have ever seen!

My personal chaos is different everyday. Yesterday, I could not walk or talk until almost 11:00 am. I was beginning to feel the chaos of my home around me and I could do nothing. I very often feel the chaos of laundry piling up and then on a good day you may walk into my home and see piles of laundry in various stages all over my living room floor, that is truly a "laundry chaos" but by the end of the day we have it all done and in baskets in our rooms hoping that it will make it to the drawers before the dirty clothes basket.

I truly live day to day and often hour by hour as my episodes come and go. I truly live a chaotic life. It is often hard for me to make plans because I fear that I would have a bad episode and who would be there to help me? I try to feel that I am living in a controlled chaos, one that is controlled by my ataxia and that I am truly a prisoner to this disease. Boy does that sound morbid or what!

I can truly say that for as much as I feel out of control, I know that I am never really in control in the first place.

Ephesians 1:18-23

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

We see in these verses from Ephesians that God has put all things under Christ's feet and given him rule over all things. This rule is not for all but for the church, Christ body, we are the true church, those who believe in him.

So how are we really to handle our chaos?

"Although many things seem chaotic to us, the Lord contains them all within the boundaries of his sovereign rule." Table Talk, May 19, 2011.


So as I have always said from the beginning of this path that I am walking (or would like to walk) that who am I to tell God that he is wrong. Think of that today as we go through our various definitions of this chaotic world. God is never wrong!

Smiles :)