When I was first diagnosed four years ago with this rare and likely terminal cancer and it became apparent that I would spend a lot of time out of work receiving treatment one of my first concerns was my family’s financial situation. I told God at that time that I was worried about the financial stability of my family and was afraid that my illness and possible death would leave my family in a desperate financial situation. God responded to me immediately and quite simply with “Don’t worry.”
Matthew 6:25-34 -- ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ...But strive first for the kingdom of God* and his* righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
So, I put my trust in God.
Once I went on medical leave a second time in December 2009 Pat and I began to seriously plan for my upcoming retirement in the spring of 2010. We surrounded ourselves with a team of wonderful professionals who, I truly believe because of the Holy Spirit in them (God, bless these people), have come to our aid. We have an Accountant, a Lawyer, and a Financial Councilor who have been working with us. There have been many hoops to jump through with the insurance companies, my previous employers, and the Social Security Administration in order to put all the pieces in place that will secure my family’s financial future. All along I trusted God and knew that he would provide although, I must admit, I still worried a bit.
Today we received wonderful news. The last piece to the financial puzzle fell into place. I received confirmation from the insurance company that a major claim has been approved, which will secure the family’s financial future.
Through the entire journey with my cancer, which began over four years ago, I have been amazed how God has provided for us. The examples seem countless. I have had easy access to high quality health care. We have had an outpouring of support from family, friends, and the Christian community. God continues to provide me with the gift of life. And now the financial security of my family is assured. I can see God’s grace at every turn during our journey and the work of the Holy Spirit constantly surrounds us.
Psalm 18 -- The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Dear Lord, thank you for providing for my family during our times of trouble. Thank you for the ongoing gift of life. Thank you for guiding us through this journey and for the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the Christian community. You are a mighty and loving God.
God is great. God is good.
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that is wonderful Paul!
ReplyDeleteThe true kinship of faiths may be best found in their mystical traditions. Here is a brief quote from my e-book:
ReplyDeleteMysticism seeks to join, or unite, our inner self with the divine by spiritual disciplines of devotion, knowledge, selfless service, and/or meditation. What you do matters greatly to what you will become: that is divine justice. How you do it, through Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, or outside these faiths is important when it is the right way for you: that is divine law. One is Truth: true Reality transcends the boundaries of our beliefs. Thou art That: you are in the divine essence; you must be dedicated to fully realizing it.
Our religion may be right for us, nevertheless that does not mean billions of others are wrong. What of the 100 billion people who lived outside of our faith since the origin of our species? Religions do differ in approach, beliefs and practices, although the divine Reality they seek is the same. Their mystics used the words and concepts understood by followers of their faith, but these are just alternate ways of trying to express the One underlying Truth.
[Note: For mysticism in the Mahayana replace the divine with the Dharmakaya, or Buddha-essence.]