Seeking Help From The Bible

My new Bible arrived yesterday! Yay!

And so, yesterday afternoon, forsaking the washing up (what a sacrifice!) I started reading my Bible. I want to slowly read the Bible from cover to cover, but to start off, I wanted to look at the 'Where To Find Help' section, which covers things like sadness, fear, illness and anger. I wanted to find some messages for me, directly applicable to the journey my family is on, especially at the moment with Adrian's Nan being so very poorly, and with the battles my Dad, Seren and Dylan fight every day.

So I started with the recommended verses on illness, and these ones in particular jumped out at me:

"I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us." Romans 8 v 18.

"For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble." 2 Corinthians 4 v 16-18.

"So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of it's own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings." Matthew 6 v 34.

"Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart." Philippians 4 v 6.

"Since Christ suffered physically, you too must strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking that he had; because whoever suffers physically is no longer involved with sin." 1 Peter 4 v 1.

After writing those verses down in my notebook, in order to focus on them when I am struggling in the future ...





... I received the phone call from Adrian's Mum to say that Marge was being taken into hospital, and that things weren't looking good for her. Seren was very concerned to hear that, as was I, and I had promised to contact Adrian's Dad to let him know what was happening, and of course, when Adrian got home from work, I would have to tell him too. So I decided to look for further help from my Bible ...

Lots more verses jumped out at me ...

"We who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves, as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free." Romans 8 v 23.

"For we know that when this tent we live in - our body here on earth - is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever." 2 Corinthians 5 v 1.

[Jesus said] "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11 v 28.

These verses definitely helped me a lot, and so when Seren and I were talking later that evening, while Adrian was picking his mother up from the hospital, and I said to her "Seren, there's something we need to talk about now," and she said "Is it that Nanny Marge might die?", I drew on the wisdom in those verses.

That wasn't actually what I was going to say to her, by the way, I was going to say that we need to take extra special care of Daddy at the moment, and not shout at him (Seren) or ask him for things all the time (both of us) or be too grumpy with him (Seren ... mostly), because he will be very worried about his Nanny.

But once we'd discussed that, we came back to what Seren had said. I said that Nanny Marge has been alive for a very long time, almost 90 years, and so now, her body is getting old and tired, and so even if she does recover from this current episode, then at some point in the not too distant future, because her heart is getting very tired, Marge is likely to be going to see Jesus. And Seren's not silly, she already knew that herself, of course, and I think Adrian's Mum has broached the topic with her briefly as well.

But I stressed that for Marge, going to see Jesus will be a very good thing. She is a strong Christian, who has stayed a strong Christian through the many trials she has endured in her life, and has, I'm sure, more than earned her place in Heaven. And waiting for her in Heaven, will be her parents, her brother, and her husband, whose loss she has mourned for almost nine years.

We, her family, left here on earth, will of course be sad to see her go, because we will miss having her here with us, but once Marge goes to Jesus, she will be healed - healthy, young and strong, and she definitely won't be missing her 89 year old, tired body. She will be happy, and she will be with all those who have gone before her.

We also said a prayer together, to ask God to look after Nanny Marge, and to help the doctors to look after her and help her, and to make sure that Nanny Marge knows that we love her. And it really seemed to help Seren, she got her worries out, and was able to talk about them, and I was able to try and reassure her.

I hope I said the right thing. I couldn't lie to Seren about Marge's precarious health, because she would eventually resent that, but I could try to help her to see that although we will be sad, and will naturally miss Nanny Marge, Nanny Marge herself will be just fine in Heaven.

I'm glad that I have my renewed faith to help myself and Seren through these tough times, and I have been praying that God will help me to support Seren properly through our faith.

I think my new Bible arrived in the nick of time.