Philippians 1:30

30You’re involved in the same kind of struggle you saw me go through, on which you are now getting an updated report in this letter.

We can write loads about this verse. We can tell many stories about our own lives. Stories about where the road was and is difficult and hard, times when we wanted to give up and sometimes did and mercifully continued. Let’s be honest: It’s not easy keeping your head above water through all the suffering.

But we must take hands and take on one another’s stories and push forward through the hardship. Together we can make it through.

A friend of mine and his wife were struggling for a couple of years; life was hard. One hardship after another hit them. But one way or another God would send angels to help them through the worst.

From his letter of thanks one can see how the hardship in life knocked them to the ground, but also how God sent people their way to help them up again:

Dear family, friends and medical people we met more than often during the past three years.  Because it would be difficult to get to all of you physically, this is a letter to thank you for all the prayers, good wishes, visits and professional attention we received from you during this challenging and adventurous period in our lives.  

From the diagnosis of the Waldenstrom monsters, my wife spent the Christmas holidays in hospital in 2013, with pneumonia, six months of treatment, the knee, shoulders, scratching around the teeth, to the most recent cavities in our heads that had to be cleaned out, and ending up in ICU, we were inundated by your prayers, good wishes, assistance and extremely professional service by the many doctors and their staff. Rest assured that we really appreciate it very much, that the Lord blessed it, and that He was with us every step of the way.

Although we learnt many life lessons, for example that no one is exempt from disease and can be completely knocked off their feet, the value of family and friends and the awareness of the incredible amount of grace, blessings and favour that we still receive from the Lord every day was most certainly the most amazing experience.  We praise God for that and give all glory to Him.

Whatever lies ahead, we are grateful and calm and take each day as it comes and live as fully as possible – life is still a song – only the tune changes a little now and then!!!

As it says in Philippians 4:4-7, we wish you future blessings, prosperity, joy, peace and freedom.

Thank you, we really do appreciate you.

Wow! Do you see my friend’s wisdom? Do you also see that through all the suffering and through support pillars he and his wife held on to and kept holding onto God? Do you see the praising of God, because as you look back on your road of hardship and the struggle to get through it, you can see one Name written on it – God!

I pray that I will push through hardship like this. I pray that I will be able to help others push through like this, because together we can get through the suffering. I realize that if I’m not part of the togetherness, someone may not make it.

Wow!

May we be on the lookout, may we search all around us for opportunities to be a part of the togetherness …

Reflection

Are you suffering?

Who can go with you?

Who can you help?

Prayer

Lord, it’s not always easy to make it through hardship. Please help me. please give me strength to get through it and to come out whole or even better on the other side. Please also give me strength to help others who are suffering. Amen