tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973269483459581996.post5480958346702961363..comments2023-06-14T07:03:19.543-05:00Comments on A Round Unvarnish'd Tale: With Boots and SingingCherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817680463922038375noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973269483459581996.post-46030118931921004022011-03-19T14:41:51.206-06:002011-03-19T14:41:51.206-06:00"Sometimes people linger, sometimes the suffe..."Sometimes people linger, sometimes the suffering & incapacity is drawn out ... for the sake of loved ones. What is convenient for our loved ones, what is easy, what is comfortable, is not always what best serves faith."<br /><br />Yes. Yes, indeed. And no matter how many times He does it, it seems I'm always still surprised at God's ability to turn burdens into blessings. And dubious that he will be able to yet again. Thank goodness He never stops trying to teach me otherwise!Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04817680463922038375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973269483459581996.post-86214873012837263502011-03-19T14:32:58.160-06:002011-03-19T14:32:58.160-06:00I hear ya! And I want the same thing!
But I also...I hear ya! And I want the same thing!<br /><br />But I also want to point out something my pastor says a lot. Sometimes people linger, sometimes the suffering & incapacity is drawn out ... <i>for the sake of</i> loved ones. What is convenient for our loved ones, what is easy, what is comfortable, is not always what best serves <i>faith</i>. Sometimes love and Christianity is best seen when a person is forced into receiving instead of doing. And IN the cross, IN the suffering, IN the pain.<br /> <br />(Now, that does <i>not</i> mean I'm disagreeing with you about finding whatever joy and life can be found in the midst of the suffering. On the contrary -- quite agreeing with you on that one!)Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16307213773466556564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973269483459581996.post-72014180736824548732011-03-19T14:25:04.762-06:002011-03-19T14:25:04.762-06:00Susan, I think you are right and we should not ove...Susan, I think you are right and we should not overgeneralize. It's an individual thing, and it's very hard to know what is going on with another person. What I do know is that I am inspired by some of the old (or sick) people I know (and have known) that seek to the very end to get what they can out of life. I am reminded of our former pastor who when he had his bladder removed due to cancer celebrated that he could now drink beer again. :-) I just pray that when I am facing the pain of illness and/or aging that I will be blessed as some I have known to be able to continue embracing the joys of doing things like going to church and enjoying the company of others and that the time I am unable to do such things will be mercifully short, not only for my sake but for that of my loved ones.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04817680463922038375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973269483459581996.post-2228330121867819632011-03-19T14:08:10.631-06:002011-03-19T14:08:10.631-06:00Cheryl, my first reaction to your post was "p...Cheryl, my first reaction to your post was "pretty cool." But then I started thinking about some of the people I know who've died, some who linger, and some who leave life having lived it to the full right up to the end.<br /><br />And at the moment, I'm suspecting that this is not unlike wondering why that lost item is <i>finally</i> found in the very last place you look for it. (Of course it's in the very last place you look; you don't keep looking after you find it!)<br /><br />Some people are slowly sapped of life and energy. They cannot continue living life fully. They are weakened and struggling, so that getting dressed each day and digesting their food and coping with their pain takes everything they can expend. There's nothing left.<br /><br />Those who die with merciful quickness are the ones who weren't worn down, and <i>could</i> keep living life fully. <br /><br />Yes, I think sometimes it <i>does</i> go the other way. People certainly can give up and waste away slowly. But in many cases I've seen, it's the creeping onset of death that causes the person to slow down in activities, and not the slowing down in activities that causes the lingering death.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16307213773466556564noreply@blogger.com