Comments on: God and I Discuss My Wife Having Cancer http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/ Trying God's patience since 1958 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:58:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Matthew Tweedell http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22922 Matthew Tweedell Wed, 09 Jun 2010 02:52:18 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22922 I'm so glad that it turned out that Cat was cancer free! I can't imagine how awful, frightful, and perhaps eye-opening, the uncertainty of this predicament must have been. I’m so glad that it turned out that Cat was cancer free! I can’t imagine how awful, frightful, and perhaps eye-opening, the uncertainty of this predicament must have been.

]]> By: Derek http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22946 Derek Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:56:37 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22946 thanks so much John and Matthew. I think that God had something to do with me finding this old post yesterday. Past experience has taught me that there is great power in being held in prayer by friends, and I appreciate it so much! thanks so much John and Matthew. I think that God had something to do with me finding this old post yesterday. Past experience has taught me that there is great power in being held in prayer by friends, and I appreciate it so much!

]]> By: Derek http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22917 Derek Tue, 08 Jun 2010 22:25:44 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22917 Wow. this is so timely. I participate in a Christian book group and we are currently reading Barbara Brown Taylor's "An Altar in the World". Last night we discussed the chapter "The practice of feeling pain", and as an exercise, each of us thought about something that was currently causing us pain. In my case that would be facing my third surgery in less than 2 years next week. We went into the sanctuary and copies of a modern translation of Psalm 88 were distributed. We were encouraged to scream the words of this psalm at God, which was a hugely difficult thing for most of us. As we shouted "I've had my fill of trouble; I'm camped on the edge of HELL" and "Does your love make any difference in a GRAVEYARD?" many of us were deeply moved by the experience. Personally the idea of releasing my pain and dumping it on God in such an angry and public way was very uncomfortable, and moved me to the point of tears, but it was indeed quite cathartic. We then followed this with personal readings of Psalm 18 as we moved around the sanctuary. As we quietly spoke lines like "God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight" I felt comforted, uplifted and supported by God and by the others in my group. The point of the exercises were to help us to feel the pain and yet to move through it, but also to help us to consider whether we can find God even in pain and suffering. I haven't yet worked through everything I felt last night, and am still moved by the experience of yelling at God, in the sanctuary, in front of witnesses yet! Your conversation with God seems to be right on the money, given yours and your wife's situation. I do hope you can find God in your pain, and please know that we will hold you both in our prayers and that you may both draw some strength from that. Wow. this is so timely. I participate in a Christian book group and we are currently reading Barbara Brown Taylor’s “An Altar in the World”. Last night we discussed the chapter “The practice of feeling pain”, and as an exercise, each of us thought about something that was currently causing us pain. In my case that would be facing my third surgery in less than 2 years next week. We went into the sanctuary and copies of a modern translation of Psalm 88 were distributed. We were encouraged to scream the words of this psalm at God, which was a hugely difficult thing for most of us. As we shouted “I’ve had my fill of trouble; I’m camped on the edge of HELL” and “Does your love make any difference in a GRAVEYARD?” many of us were deeply moved by the experience. Personally the idea of releasing my pain and dumping it on God in such an angry and public way was very uncomfortable, and moved me to the point of tears, but it was indeed quite cathartic. We then followed this with personal readings of Psalm 18 as we moved around the sanctuary. As we quietly spoke lines like “God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight” I felt comforted, uplifted and supported by God and by the others in my group. The point of the exercises were to help us to feel the pain and yet to move through it, but also to help us to consider whether we can find God even in pain and suffering. I haven’t yet worked through everything I felt last night, and am still moved by the experience of yelling at God, in the sanctuary, in front of witnesses yet! Your conversation with God seems to be right on the money, given yours and your wife’s situation. I do hope you can find God in your pain, and please know that we will hold you both in our prayers and that you may both draw some strength from that.

]]> By: nicola http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22916 nicola Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:36:48 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22916 I went through this with a very important close friend/mother. Life certainly feels more grounded when we realize this whole earth thing is the temporary thing and love wins out over death. When my dad died I had a huge sense of him being closer to me than ever. I was at peace! my dad went before me and now death does not scare me. Love to you I went through this with a very important close friend/mother. Life certainly feels more grounded when we realize this whole earth thing is the temporary thing and love wins out over death. When my dad died I had a huge sense of him being closer to me than ever. I was at peace! my dad went before me and now death does not scare me. Love to you

]]> By: Matthew Tweedell http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22939 Matthew Tweedell Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:28:52 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22939 That's right: we'll be praying for you, Derek! That's right: we'll be praying for you, Derek!

]]> By: Matthew Tweedell http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22938 Matthew Tweedell Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:28:23 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22938 I didn't mean to imply that it should be (eye-opening, that is). But sometimes, such as how Nicola describes, I think it can be, when God has certain pearls of wisdom to impart, which others similarly affected might already have learned from life. BTW, no reason to thank *me* on this. Thank the LORD! :) I didn't mean to imply that it should be (eye-opening, that is). But sometimes, such as how Nicola describes, I think it can be, when God has certain pearls of wisdom to impart, which others similarly affected might already have learned from life.

BTW, no reason to thank *me* on this. Thank the LORD! :)

]]> By: John Shore http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22936 John Shore Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:31:39 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22936 Bless your heart for this, Grant. Bless your heart for this, Grant.

]]> By: John Shore http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22932 John Shore Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:29:06 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22932 Is that right? Yow. I'm so sorry to hear you have to face that. I'll be sure to come check out your blog. (Please note, Diane, that this is an older post; Catherine is fine. Bless your heart for so readily being willing to pray for us, though. But she's fine. (As, I hope I'll discover, are you?). Is that right? Yow. I'm so sorry to hear you have to face that. I'll be sure to come check out your blog. (Please note, Diane, that this is an older post; Catherine is fine. Bless your heart for so readily being willing to pray for us, though. But she's fine. (As, I hope I'll discover, are you?).

]]> By: John Shore http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22931 John Shore Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:27:22 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22931 Whoa, Don. That's very, very powerful, what you've shared here. Yikes, man. Well, gosh. Thanks so much for sharing that with us. I think we can all feel how sort of mightily that has all settled down into you, and become a power. Whoa, Don. That's very, very powerful, what you've shared here. Yikes, man. Well, gosh. Thanks so much for sharing that with us. I think we can all feel how sort of mightily that has all settled down into you, and become a power.

]]> By: John Shore http://johnshore.com/2009/08/14/god-and-i-discuss-my-wife-having-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-22928 John Shore Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:24:10 +0000 http://johnshore.com/?p=4257#comment-22928 Whoa. Wow. Thanks, Nicola, for sharing that very touching ... thing you just said. Awesome. Thanks. Whoa. Wow. Thanks, Nicola, for sharing that very touching … thing you just said. Awesome. Thanks.

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