2 Corinthians 12 (NIV)
Paul's Vision and His Thorn
1I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. 5I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.
7To 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. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But 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. 10That 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.
I have tried for the past 5 days to figure out what I think and feel at the events that took place last Friday evening. I have been at a total loss for words, and for those who know me this is seems as if it were an impossibility.
My brother was in a terrible motorcycle accident, and his life has forever been altered. I want so much to say something to make it all better, but that is not realistic. I know that God is in the mist of this journey for my brother to endure, persevere, and hopefully grow into the man God desires him to be. Physical pain has enveloped every fiber of my being because with each passing moment I come to a new level of realization that he will have to figure out how to live his life with out his right arm. I know this doesn't mean that his life is over, but just more complicated...more of a struggle. There have been moments in these last few days that I've wished that I could change places with him because I know that as hard as it would be I would be able to hold my head up to praise God for this tragedy, perhaps with bitter tears from time to time, but I know in the end I could see God at work in my life. My brother doesn't have this
relationship with his God. Perhaps, at times it is harder to trust God to do for your loved ones what he does for you.
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I'm so sorry for your family's tragedy. I can only imagine the difficult days ahead for him and for your sister-in-law as she tries to be strong for him. I pray that this time will draw him to God and that instead of anger or blame, that he will be filled with gratitude that he is alive and that God is still God.
I often worry about people I know that are going through difficult times when they aren't close to (or don't know) the Lord. I worry that the tragedy will push them away from God instead of towards Him. But, I have to remember that God is bigger than my fears and worries and that He loves them more than I do.
I hope your brother can feel your prayers and concern and our prayers for him, as well.
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