I have been humbled recently by news of close friends and colleagues being struck down with some condition when they are in the prime of their lives and making a big impact in their work. How devastating it can be to find that you are no longer to do the things you once did without thinking. The onset of arthritis, a stroke, depression, fibromyalgia – all these are conditions can come on suddenly, are known to the sufferer but not felt half so keenly by the people they speak to or work with. Few can imagine the impact it can have and the constant burden it imposes on the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the sufferer.
When conditions like this arise, the sufferer goes through a whirlwind of emotions ranging from ‘am I any use to anyone any more’ through to ‘will I ever recover from this’ to ‘what have I done to deserve this?’ Also, it is all too easy for those they work with to write them off in terms of their effectiveness or usefulness which is all the more painful for the innocent sufferer.
We read in Romans 5:3,4 “… we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance; and endurance produces character; and character produces hope.” Do we really? Is suffering a thing to rejoice in or does it produce the opposite emotion – despair?
I recently had a minor operation which I thought would be all over after a weekend’s rest. Not so – I was off work for three weeks and still suffering from infections and the debilitating effect of this some weeks after. Being human brings unexpected highs and lows and the low times can be enormously difficult to bear. When your prayers for healing seem to bounce off the ceiling and onto your head then rejoicing is nigh on impossible.
But when people are afflicted in such ways we need to remember that they are still the same people with the same personality, wit, creativity and potential. God has not written them off, even if we are cruelly tempted to do. Yes, we all come to the stage where we can’t emulate the antics of our youth. Sir Cliff and Sir Paul know this only too well but all credit to them for trying in front of millions world-wide. I know every time I pick up the squash racquet how much more difficult it is to scrape those shots out of the back corner.
I remember a Christian friend of mine called Sid who was a plumber. He was asked to do a job at a large mansion in Watford. Having completed the task, the butler took him into a large sitting room where the lady of the house was sitting in an armchair. Sid looked around the room and saw a grand piano at one end and the lady sitting near the hearth. His jaw dropped open in amazement! “Oh lady”, he said with his knees shaking, “what a privilege it is to do my humble work for one as important as you.”
Sitting in the chair was someone he instantly recognised. She has written worship songs which have been sung the world over, performed before packed audiences and more especially, had brought joy, encouragement, faith and hope to thousands all around the world. Her name? Marilyn Baker. The amazing is that Marilyn Baker is completely blind. Is it an impediment to her? I don’t know. Does it reduce her effectiveness as a Christian song-writer and performer – not in the least – in fact it may in a strange way enhance it.
One day we’ll all pass our sell-by date – but we still remain the same person inside with the same desire to make an impact on the world around us. Let’s ensure we give everyone the chance to do just that – no matter what they may have suffered in life.
