Quote:
Originally Posted by OneAccord
This morning, it was raining. No work today. So... I decided to go to Scottsboro to look up a pastor I haven't seen in over twenty years. I haven't seen or spoken to this brother in many years, had no idea if he was even still living. He was, as it turns out. I found out through a mutual friend where this pastor lives and I went to see him. (He is still pastoring, visited his chrurch tonight).
When I got to his house I learned that he had just recently buried his 2nd wife. (His first wife died years ago). The brother was devastated. He, at first didn't recoignize me so I introduced myself and he remembered. He invited me in and I found that he was sorting thru his wifes things.(Oh, how I recall how painful that is). He kept turning to me with tear filled eyes saying, Brother, what am I going to do with out her?". I just let him talk. He poured his soul out - all of his pent-up emotion came flooding out... I waited...I listened. I cried with him...tried to console him.
Later, as I got ready to leave... he said, "Oh, brother, you don't know how much you helped me." Actually, I did nothing... I just let him talk. Then he added, "Its like you went thru this with me". It was then, as I was ready to walk out the door, that I said, "Brother, you remember my first wife...how she died in 1988?". He remembered. Then, I told him about losing Lola in February of this year. He knew then how it seemed I had went thru this with him. Had things not happened with Lola as they did, I wouldn't have known what to do to help this brother in the Lord. So... God has a way of teaching us thru our suffering, doesn't He?
|
Amen,He teaches us many things by sufferings,tribulation,chasten,all the same.Even Jesus Heb.5
[8] Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb.12
[5] And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
[6] For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
[7] If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
[10] For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
[11] Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Rom.8
[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
2Cor.1
[5] For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
[6] And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
[7] And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Philp.3:[7] But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
[8] Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
[9] And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
[10] That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death
Heb.2
[9] But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
[10] For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
[18] For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Threaded Mode
