My story in the book “Prayer, Faith and Healing; Cure the Body, Heal the Mind and Restore the Soul” by Kenneth Winston Caine (1999)
Can you imagine how excited I was when the editors of an upcoming book saw my website last year and wanted my input for a chapter of their book??? Well, we had a few interviews and I provided my thoughts. Months later, the book was completed and I ordered a copy off amazon.com. Upon receiving the book, I quickly went to the chapter on Pain, where it began........."Tim Doyle is a thirty-something accountant in Indianapolis....... The book continued with an accurate (yet, incomplete) description of my response to suffering as well as a few Ph.D. type people who disagreed strongly with my approach.......Disagreement on the topic of a proper response to suffering..........huh..........who would've thought............
My Response to comments in the book Prayer, Faith and Healing - The Chapter on Pain
I wanted to comment on 2 paragraphs in the chapter on Pain in the book Prayer, Faith and Healing.
Paragraph 1 from the book:
"Believers throughout the ages have found different ways to view the problem of pain, and we need to search for answers that make sense in our own heart. Dr. Richmond, for example, doesn't necessarily share Tim Doyle's view that God wills suffering as a means of drawing sinners closer to Him. " I think that we live in an unfinished creation," he says. "God seeks our willingness to participate in the completion of that creation and the humanizing of it. Pain is part of that. God is not responsible for it, but God will give us strength to help us cope." If our particular view of God is adding to our suffering rather than easing it, we may want to re-examine those beliefs, Dr. Richmond suggests."
My comments (in black):
""Believers throughout the ages have found different ways to view the problem of pain, and we need to search for answers that make sense in our own heart."
What we really need to do is understand the truth. The truth is - God is sovereign over every and all situations in our life and we need to go to Him in prayer. We will never have all the answers this side of eternity and no explanation may make sense. We just have to trust God ! Our answers may change with circumstances, but God is the only place to find comfort. Job never received an answer to his suffering, but his conclusion to his situation was, "I thought I knew you, but now I have seen you." Translated - The suffering has brought me closer to you and now I have an even better understanding of who You are - - and thats what we really need. It's really not a question of "Why" but of "Who"...... The "Who" is Jesus Christ, the sovereign king of the universe!
Dr. Richmond, for example, doesn't necessarily share Tim Doyle's view that God wills suffering as a means of drawing sinners closer to Him.
Consider the Book of Job. In addition, it may be useful to share my own story - I've been in a wheelchair for 8 years, and sick for 22 years.
I am convinced - Had it not been for the disease, I would never have given my life to Christ!
There are alot of reasons for suffering, some we know, many we don't, but until one truly experiences the position of brokenness, helplessness and at the point where one no longer wants to live - then, and only then will one see the miracle of Romans 8:28 (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose). For the first time in my life, I realized I needed Jesus Christ. Suffering can do that and I praise God for the hidden blessing of the disease, because it brought me to Him.
I think that we live in an unfinished creation," he says. "God seeks our willingness to participate in the completion of that creation and the humanizing of it. Pain is part of that. God is not responsible for it, but God will give us strength to help us cope
God is not responsible for pain???? Help me understand your position because it sounds like the sovereignty of God is being brought into question. One cannot believe in God's sovereignty if they don't believe He has something as simple for Him as pain firmly in His grasp. Nothing happens to us without His knowledge and approval! God certainly gives us gifts, such as strength, and Scripture says,
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength. " Phil 4:13
But Paul gives credit, not to his strength, but to his weakness:
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
God desires we respond as Paul does - not in our strength - but in His strength !
If our particular view of God is adding to our suffering rather than easing it, we may want to re-examine those beliefs, Dr. Richmond suggests.
The life of Christ is clearly, the life of suffering !(Please see path of Christ !).
As followers of Christ, the Bible says we will suffer:
"Remember the words I spoke to you: `No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." John 15:20
"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. " 1 Peter 2:21
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, " Phil 1:29
If we are truly Christians, then our view of God will always add to our suffering ! Consider Fox's Book of Martyrs.......Check out Voice of the Martyrs magazine.......
When we think of God, we must think of the life of Christ - and that life was one of unmatched suffering !
Paragraph 2 from the book:
4. Cope with one day at a time.
Suffering is easier to handle in small does, says Tull. "Don't ask how are you're going to endure this for the next 20 years," he says. "Just concentrate on how you're going to get through today."
Take the long view.
Paradoxically, Tim Doyle finds that he can get through difficult days of focusing on what he calls God's eternal perspective. He cites the Bible passage in which Paul writes, "I consider that sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18 NRSV) Another key passage for Doyle: "For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure." (2 Corinthians 4:17 NRSV) "I receive tremendous comfort in God's eternal promises, as they provide and endless source of strength to help me through the toughest days. As my body weakens, His strength, through His promises, increases," says Doyle.
My comments:
Suffering is easier to handle in small does, says Tull. "Don't ask how are you're going to endure this for the next 20 years," he says. "Just concentrate on how you're going to get through today." Take the long view. Paradoxically, Tim Doyle finds that he can get through difficult days of focusing on what he calls God's eternal perspective.
I don't think paradoxically is the correct word. My theology on a proper response to suffering is (in order):
Trust God
Develop an Eternal Perspective
Live with Joy !
Develop a Daily Perspective
My key is that you cannot have a proper Daily Perspective without Trusting God, Developing an Eternal Perspective and Living with Joy first. So, while Dr. Tull says, "Just concentrate on how you're going to get through today", I tend to agree, BUT NOT UNTIL one has the first 3 steps down first !
My sister struggles with "getting through today" because the circumstances of life as a single parent of 2 kids, being handicapped in a wheelchair, a difficult job, divorced with limited financial resources are all realities that will probably be with her tomorrow. Now, add other problems that come up daily for all of us and her and - - - quickly she reaches her breaking point ! Who wouldnt????
How do you just "get through today" when tomorrow welcomes the same, if not more struggles? It's a miserable thought by itself!
Understand one point - - - Christians - How you live your life on earth determines your capacity to glorify God in heaven! Forever !
We need to understand what we do here, on earth, how we respond to our sufferings and difficulties, has eternal consequences - - - again, forever !!!!!!
When you couple "how am I going to get through today" with an eternal view, it gives meaning to the mundane, painful, and hopeless tasks of the day.
Consider, what heaven will be like!
Revelation chapters 4-5
Revelation 4
1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.
4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
6 Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.
8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
Revelation 5
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"
3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.
4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
14 The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation chapters 21-22
Revelation 21
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west.
14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls.
16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.
17 He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using.
18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.
25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.
27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 221 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.
9 But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"
10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.
11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people.
Christians, heaven is our real home. We need to keep an eternal perspective daily; that's the only way "we are just going to get through today."
Prayer, Faith and Healing - The chapter on Pain that includes my theology and dissenter's opinions!
PAIN
Finding Relief and Acceptance
Tim Doyle is a thirty-something accountant in Indianapolis who has created his own Web site on the Internet entitled "Hope for Those Who Suffer." It's devoted to the meaning and experience of suffering from a Christian perspective. This is a topic that he knows quite a bit about, not through academic study but from firsthand experience. As Tim explains on his Web site:
· His family consists of seven children, now all adults, and his parents.
· Growing up, they were a very athletic and loving Catholic family. However, during their high school years, Tim and three of the other children developed weaknesses that they now know are caused by muscular dystrophy.
· One of the children who has muscular dystrophy and another who doesn't, have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
· Today, four of the seven kids, including Tim, use wheelchairs.
All this agony has left the Doyle family wondering, "Why us?" "Why this?" "Why now?"
When it comes to pain, "Why?" is definitely the burning question. The experience of physical suffering seems so cruel and so unfairly distributed that it can turn even the most literal-minded among us into skeptical theologians. Does God wish us ill? If He doesn't wish us ill, why does He allow so much pain? If He does wish us ill, why?
Tim Doyle has struggled over these questions, too. And though he has found comfort in reading the Bible, the question of "Why, Lord? Still exists. But as Tim notes, "The Bible is clear: We're never going to understand all of our suffering on this side of eternity. But it really helps me to see that in His sovereignty, God chose suffering for His own Son. I feel that God is honoring me by saying, "Tim, the path of pain that I chose for My Son is the same path that I'm using to bring you to Me." Soothing the Wounded Spirit Pastoral counselors who work day in and day out with people in pain will tell you that Tim Doyle's story is neither unique nor universal. Certainly, there are many people who, at least initially, find their beliefs more a stumbling block than a blessing in coping with pain. "I see a lot of anger," say the Reverend Kent Richmond, doctor of sacred theology, chaplain at the Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, and author of Preaching to Sufferers. "A lot of people feel that their faith should have protected them, should have made them special, if you will. The discovery that that doesn't happen is often difficult." So difficult, Dr. Richmond adds, that many of them decided that they want nothing to do with God anymore. That's a tragedy, because as difficult as it may be to reconcile suffering with belief, an overwhelming amount of evidence documents that faith and prayer can help people learn how to live with pain, if they have to, and in some cases, overcome it.
Here are some suggestions for getting in touch with God when we're in pain.
1. Have faith in God's presence.
Maybe we can't understand why God allows pain. Nonetheless, say Dr. Richmond, we can be certain that He stands with us in our suffering. Far from being aloof and unmoved, God suffers with us. He actively participates in our pain. This shared suffering, Richmond adds, is central to the meaning of Christ's journey to the cross, as prophesied in the Bible: "Surely He has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases…." (Isaiah 53:4 NRSV) Find your own understanding. Believers throughout the ages have found different ways to view the problem of pain, and we need to search for answers that make sense in our own heart. Dr. Richmond, for example, doesn't necessarily share Tim Doyle's view that God wills suffering as a means of drawing sinners closer to Him. " I think that we live in an unfinished creation," he says. "God seeks our willingness to participate in the completion of that creation and the humanizing of it. Pain is part of that. God is not responsible for it, but God will give us strength to help us cope." If our particular view of God is adding to our suffering rather than easing it, we may want to re-examine those beliefs, Dr. Richmond suggests.
2. Share sorrow.
It's not surprising that pastoral counselors believe that sharing our pain with someone can help lighten the load. That view is supported by research scientists who have found that communicating the experience of illness has definite therapeutic advantages. "Telling our stories is a way of processing what's happening," says Frank Baker, Ph.D., director of the Behavioral Research Center at the American Cancer Society. "It helps put life in order and gives meaning to suffering." Many people have found tremendous comfort in attending support groups where they can share what they're going through with others undergoing the same experience. Thousands of such groups exist, meeting in person and on the Internet, and hey address an amazing variety of conditions and situations, from cancer and miscarriage to Lyme disease and arthritis. Doctors, pastors, and social workers at hospitals and local health departments often have lists of such groups. For free information, write to the American Self-Help Clearinghouse, Saint Clare's Hospital, 25 Pocono Road, Denville, NJ 07834-2995. To find groups on the Internet, connect to one of the major search engines and enter search terms such as pain, support group, and/or the name of the particular condition.
The Reverend Justin Tull, doctor of ministry, senior pastor at the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas, and author of Why God, Why? Sermons on the Problem of Pain, recommends approaching these groups with some caution, initially. "Many support groups are tremendously helpful," he says. "But some groups tend to dwell on the problem rather than moving forward. Also, support groups may not be the right solution for every person at a particular time." Be prepared to attend several meetings before making up your mind.
3. Serve others.
Research has shown that's its possible to ameliorate pain by distracting yourself from it, Dr. Baker says, and one of the most effective ways of doing that is to think about helping others. Dr. Tull cites the case of two members of his church: one, a woman who had just lost her husband, and the other, a young man that he was thinking of her in her time of grief, and she did the same when he was in the hospital. " Here were two people in pain for different reasons," Pastor Tull says, "and the fact that they would take the time to think of each other had tremendous power."
For Tim Doyle, testifying to God's power in his life, both in person and through his Web site, has been a major factor in his coming to terms with his disease. "I've been a much more powerful witness for Him in this wheelchair than I ever could have been without it," he says. " I just thank God for choosing me to be in His service."
4. Cope with one day at a time.
Suffering is easier to handle in small does, says Tull. "Don't ask how are you're going to endure this for the next 20 years," he says. "Just concentrate on how you're going to get through today." Take the long view. Paradoxically, Tim Doyle finds that he can get through difficult days of focusing on what he calls God's eternal perspective. He cites the Bible passage in which Paul writes, "I consider that sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18 NRSV) Another key passage for Doyle: "For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure." (2 Corinthians 4:17 NRSV) "I receive tremendous comfort in God's eternal promises, as they provide and endless source of strength to help me through the toughest days. As my body weakens, His strength, through His promises, increases," says Doyle.
5. Pray with others.
Praying to God while being supported by others who care for you is a potent combination. "I can hardly think of anything more helpful than that," says the Reverend Steven Estes, senior pastor of Community Evangelical Free Church in Elverson Pennsylvania, and co-author of When God Weeps. Reverend Estes's church holds regular Sunday night prayer sessions where people in various types of need are prayed for by the congregation.
