Dancing Through the PainValue Archives — Dancing Through the Pain

Poor Offerings

Will Henning — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 01:36:10 +0000

A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:42-44

In an attempt to get more familiar with our new surroundings, Marie and I ventured out to a diner that we hadn’t tried yet. As we walked in, I noticed a young man serving as a busboy. It only took a fraction of a second to recognize that he was both physically and mentally challenged. Some might conclude that he had little to offer, yet here he was providing a service for the restaurant and its patrons. During our meal, I also observed that despite his challenges, he appeared to communicate a kind heart as he interacted with a few of the customers as they came in or left. Whether it is due to self-perception, physical handicap, chronic illness, or some other limitation or trial, many of us often feel as though we have little value and little to offer because our resources are lacking in some form or fashion. As the passage above indicates, God is more concerned about what we do with our resources rather than how grand they are. In that regard, consider how expectations, assumptions, and actions relate to our offerings to God and man.

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One God and Father

Will Henning — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 19:48:27 +0000

Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. 1 Corinthians 8:6

Yesterday was another rough day. I had a dentist appointment, met with my trainer briefly and went to the doctor. Prior to illness taking over my life, working these in around my job and responsibilities at home would have been nothing exceptional. They were minor adjustments to my normal routine. However, yesterday, they wiped me out and left me pretty useless. Some days, the thought of getting out of bed and simple routine tasks such as taking a shower can be daunting and insurmountable. While chronic illness seems to bring with it a regular cycle of pain and fatigue leaving one feeling alone, defeated, and useless, other trials in life like the death of a loved one or a job loss can do the same until they are resolved or the critical stage has passed. In an effort to combat those feelings consider the following passages about God and His perspective.

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Divinely Placed

Will Henning — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 02:41:49 +0000

The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil. Proverbs 16:4

“Right time, right place” is a phrase commonly used to indicate good fortune. Conversely, “wrong time, wrong place” is often used to describe an unfortunate outcome or tragedy. Both of these imply coincidence, luck, or fate rather than direction at the hand of our sovereign Lord. When it comes to God’s sovereignty and planning, people readily accept that our Creator is directly responsible for placing us in circumstances that we view as a blessing or useful service to God and man. However, there is a great reluctance to include the difficult circumstances in life as God ordained placement, equipping, refinement, or calling home. To put it another way, God is often seen as decidedly directing blessings, but assuming a reactionary role in trials. Nevertheless, while God does not perpetrate evil, He resolutely creates each person, actively directs the course of their lives and decisively places them to accomplish His purposes. Therefore, as the verse above indicates, we (both God fearing and wicked) are all created with purpose and equipped accordingly and Esther was no exception.

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Lovingly Shaped

Will Henning — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 02:03:47 +0000

But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8

As I write, facilitate support groups, council, and discuss my own situation, the subject of God’s work to refine, shape and equip is always a significant topic. While I certainly don’t enjoy the pain and suffering associated with my health issues or the negative impacts of them on my family members, I rejoice in what I have endured due to the changes that they have brought in my life…especially my spiritual life. Whether it is physical, spiritual or mental pain, I know that God is at work refining me and perfecting me…especially when I choose to cooperate with the process rather than fighting it. I rejoice because God desires that I be more like Christ and adequately equipped for each task that He has planned for me. God in His love and mercy is continually at work to mold me into the man that He envisioned before time. (Ephesians 1:4) I also trust that He is doing the same for you.

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Awareness, Opportunity and Blessing

Will Henning — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 12:00:55 +0000

How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health. Psalm 41:1-3

Last week I stayed at the Holiday Inn at Cleveland Clinic while I was seeing doctors and having tests done. (You can read more about that in last week’s post here.) While I have stayed in many hotels with varying levels of service, I’ve not been in one like this before and I really didn’t notice how different it was for at least a day. As I was sitting at dinner in the café on the second evening, I noticed that the din which typically surrounds the restaurant and bar areas was missing. In fact, it was rather quiet. I also noticed that there were more families taking the time to thank God for their food. It then occurred to me that the vast majority, if not all, of the patrons were either ill, caregivers or some combination of the two. As I sat there taking this in, I further realized that the staff was different as well as they were more engaged that I’m used to. With this realization came an awareness, an opportunity and a blessing.

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Small Things

Will Henning — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 11:00:38 +0000

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. Mark 9:41

Our family spent the weekend with my aunt and uncle at their lake house. Saturday morning our older daughter asked if I would go running with her so I agreed. I can usually run a short distance without much problem, however, this time it seemed as if everything was against me. In the end it was a couple of miles of pure frustration. It left me unsettled with a few questions: is this an anomaly, will I no longer be able to enjoy a good run, or is this something that I will recover from? Further is it may be yet another loss that I must accept and another limitation to undermine how I feel about myself? In any event, I kept moving one small step at a time…sometimes running, but mostly walking. In the end it became an object lesson about living well and led to a conversation with God about life and faith.

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True Value

Will Henning — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 11:00:39 +0000

Understanding Your Worth

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:10-11

My Aunt Margaret and Uncle Wilbur raised sheep. For the twelve years I was in elementary school through high school, some portion of the summer was spent at their home. One Wednesday evening we were getting ready to go to church and my uncle got a call that dogs had gotten into one of their pastures. My aunt and I went on to church while my uncle and older brother went to check on the sheep. While the dogs were removed quickly, it wasn’t until we had the light of day the following morning that the damage that they had done could be assessed. I remember riding in the back of the truck looking for injured sheep. There were several and the scene wasn’t pretty. Uncle Wilbur loaded a couple on the truck to take home, but most, if not all, of the attacked sheep died. The basic tactic of the dogs was to chase the herd until one of the sheep got separated, attack it and then repeat the process. In most situations, there is usually safety in numbers, but isolation weakens our level of protection.

Isolation comes in many forms. Like many, mine is associated primarily due to illness and my inability to work. For others, it may be personality type, a change in marital status, leaving the work force, increasing frailties as a result of age, or any of a number of other issues which may present themselves individually or in concert. Further, one does not need to spend a lot of time unaccompanied to feel isolated. Often I have felt completely alone while surrounded by people. Satan loves to find us isolated as it makes us more vulnerable to his attacks. Just like the dogs with sheep, he uses our vulnerability to undermine our thought processes and, thereby, erode our faith. One of his first targets is our sense of worth. He works on us until we begin to forget our true value.

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Do You Prefer Discipline or Neglect?

Will Henning — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 11:00:53 +0000

Running with endurance

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:5-6

Life can seem to be trying and wearisome at times. This summer is the third summer in a row that my wife has had to use crutches due to injury. My own health issues have been more challenging this year. I have added two new specialists to my list of doctors and will likely add a third by the end of the year. And yet, despite our struggles and their related frustration and fatigue, we consider ourselves quite fortunate having learned over time that: our situation could be much worse; our trials are truly “light and momentary”; and God is faithful to sustain us. It doesn’t make the endurance an easy thing, but it does encourage us and provide a healthier perspective than our culture offers. With this understanding, we further recognize that the discipline and sustaining grace of God is infinitely better than being neglected.

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Enduring Love

Will Henning — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 11:00:49 +0000

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17

We all like to be reminded that we are loved…especially by those who are dear to us. My wife was out of town this weekend and I wasn’t feeling the greatest on several levels. At one point, I considered staying home from church on Sunday morning. However, realizing that it was not a wise choice in that moment and that there are others who would love to attend a worship service, but are unable, I rose to the occasion and went. During the praise time, the worship team led us in “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”. For various reasons, I desperately needed to hear those words.

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Mighty vs. Might

Will Henning — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 11:00:16 +0000

“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.’” Luke 21:1-4

In the wake of Billy Graham’s departure from this world, the atmosphere seems a tad darker. He was truly a mighty man of God who was used to reach all levels of society around the globe. Not only did he touch the lives of many great and influential people not the least of which were several US presidents, but he also touched the lives of the humble such as my grandmother who accepted Christ sitting in her apartment watching one of his crusades on her television. In that light, take a look at the picture described in Luke 21. A poor woman who has next to nothing is noticed by the Lord of all that exists. He doesn’t look down on her as someone who is insignificant. Quite the opposite, He recognizes that her small offering or her “mite” is a mighty act of faith as she is giving all that she has; He acknowledges that she has contributed more than those who have given much larger offerings out of their surplus. When I consider the opportunities, wealth, talents or spiritual gifts of the mighty and those with no more than a mite, three points come to mind: jealousy, attitude and value.

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