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Healing, Hope, Love, Pain, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

Is Love in Action

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July 17, 2012

- Category : Healing, Hope, Love, Pain, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

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Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help.
Then God’s love is not living in that person.
My children, we should love people not only with words and talk,
but by our actions and true caring.
1 JOHN 3:17-18 (NCV)



The above scripture is a foundational verse for the ministry of Endurance – it permeates every policy and program. We believe it is “where the rubber meets the road. Words and talk – although important – are not nearly as important as acts of love and kindness. Words spoken are exactly that but love in action speaks much louder and shows how much we truly care because we are giving of ourselves.



Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this
if you learn all the right words but never do anything?
Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?
For instance, you come upon an old friend
dressed in rags and half-starved and say,
“Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!”
and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—
where does that get you?
Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
JAMES 2:14-17 (THE MESSAGE)



Here are some of our favorite tried and true actions of love that help us walk beside those who are weak and wounded …



• Ask – “How can I be praying for you?’ and then always offer to pray right then and there with your hurting friend.
• Be there – take the time – love in action!
• Send a note card or email when you pray for hurting friends or family members so they know that you continue to pray for them.
• Be there – take the time – love in action
• Call and check in on a regular basis especially before any potentially difficult milestone such as an anniversary of a loved one’s death or an important appointment – it is taking the time to care.
• Be there – take the time – love in action!
• Help with the daily grind of life by preparing meals or helping with the daily duties whenever you can – give a helping hand.
• Be there – take the time – love in action



God chooses carefully those who would bring His message of hope, comfort and love to His suffering children. If you have been chosen to be God’s hands, mouth or feet for your friend – God will bless you richly as you let Him teach you His gentle ways and how to walk in His strength. And remember …



It is not how much we do,
but how much love we put into what we do.
MOTHER TERESA



As you serve and love others in need – count it a privilege and be blessed…

“Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom.
It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:



‘ I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’



“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about?
When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?
And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’
Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth:
Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored,
that was me—you did it to me.’
MATTHEW 25:34-40 (THE MESSAGE)



On the journey with you,
Dave & Jan Dravecky

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Healing, Pain, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

Speak Words of Encouragement & Comfort

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July 10, 2012

- Category : Healing, Pain, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

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There is a time for everything,
and everything on earth has its special season.
There is a time to be silent
and a time to speak.
ECCLESIASTES 3:1,7 (NCV)



While there is definitely a time to be silent and listen when walking beside the weak and wounded– there is also a time to speak life-giving words of encouragement and comfort.



The right word spoken at the right time
is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl.
PROVERBS 25:11 (NCV)



But remember …



When you talk, do not say harmful things,
but say what people need—
words that will help others become stronger.
Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you.
EPHESIANS 4:29 (NCV)



Let thy speech be better than silence – or be silent.
DIONYSIUS THE ELDER



Encouraging and comforting words are healing physically, emotionally and spiritually.



Words of comfort, skillfully administered,
are the oldest therapy known to man.
LOUIS NIZER



An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.
PROVERBS 12:25



Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
making people happy and healthy.
PROVERBS 16:24 (NCV)



And you will find that as you bless the weak and wounded with your life-giving words – you too will be blessed.



The world is full of discouragers.
We have a Christian duty to encourage one another.
Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer
has kept a man on his feet.
Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.
WILLIAM BARCLAY



So encourage each other
and give each other strength
1 THESSALONIANS 5:11 (NCV)



On the journey with you,
Dave & Jan Dravecky

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Healing, Pain, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

Say Nothing Often

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June 30, 2012

- Category : Healing, Pain, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

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Three of Job’s friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country—
Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath—
and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him.
When they first caught sight of him,
they couldn’t believe what they saw—they hardly recognized him!
They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt
on their heads as a sign of their grief.
Then they sat with him on the ground.
Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word.
They could see how rotten he felt,
how deeply he was suffering.
JOB 2:11-13 (THE MESSAGE)



The best encouragement that Job received from his friends was given in the first seven days and nights when they sat there without saying a word. Scripture encourages us to …



“… weep with those who weep.“
ROMANS 12:15



Which is exactly what they did and Job was encouraged but his discouragement began when they ended their silence and weeping and decided to speak and give reasons for his suffering.



“I’ve had all I can take of your talk.
What a bunch of miserable comforters!
Is there no end to your windbag speeches?
What’s your problem that you go on and on like this?
If you were in my shoes,
I could talk just like you.
I could put together a terrific harangue
and really let you have it.
But I’d never do that. I’d console and comfort,
make things better, not worse!”
JOB 16:1-5 (THE MESSAGE)



Like Job’s encouragers, many of us feel that we have to have answers for our hurting friends. Maybe because …



We are a “teller” society.
We have never discovered the power of the ear.
When someone tells us his/her problems
we think we must have an answer.
If we have no answer we …
either give shallow answers or just run from the question.
DOUG MANNING



Or perhaps …



Perhaps to defend God’s honor,
Or to try to make some sense of what has happened
Or simply to put the whole thing in the past,
Most would-be comforters are convinced that something must be said.
DAVE BIEBEL



But the truth is that more times than not – we do not have the answers to our friends suffering. But the good news is that you don’t have to and remember …



Even fools seem to be wise if they keep quiet;
if they don’t speak, they appear to understand.
PROVERBS 17:28



On the journey with you,
Dave & Jan Dravecky

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Healing, Pain, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

Listen Listen Listen

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June 26, 2012

- Category : Healing, Pain, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

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Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters:
You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak
JAMES 1:19 (NLT)



When a family member or a friend is hurting our ears are needed at least twice as much as our mouths – perhaps that is why we have two ears and only one mouth! Perhaps that is why the Scripture encourages us to listen and urges caution when we speak. The Scripture also reminds us that there is …



A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
ECCLESIASTES 3:7 (NLT)



The hurting needs a listening ear and heart – someone before whom they can be totally honest. They need a safe place to uncover their pain – reveal their questions and doubts – so that healing can begin.



“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere,
before whom I may think out loud.”
RALPH WALDO EMERSON



A safe listener and friend gives a hurting person complete freedom to express whatever they are feeling inside – good, bad or indifferent. A safe listener and friend is not there to judge or offer solutions – he or she is there to offer a sanctuary of grace.



“What do you do when a hurting friend
says things that are irreverent – or worse?
Rejoice! Not in your friend’s impiety
But in the willingness to entrust her pain to you.“
DAVE BEIBEL



A safe listener is also a wise active listener. A good listener asks the right questions – ones that delve beneath the surface and help a hurting friend understand and express deep thoughts and feelings:




  • We have talked about everyone else – how are you doing?

  • What are you doing to cope? What are you doing for yourself?

  • Is this … what you are feeling?

  • Do you understand why you feel that way?

  • That seems difficult for you. Would you like to talk about it more?



A friend listens intently – makes eye contact, leans forward, expresses agreement or nods – to whatever a hurting friend says even if it has been said many times before. Take a tip from nature – your ears are not made to shut but your mouth is!



A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends
JOB 6:14 (NIV)



“He who can no longer listen to his brother
will soon no longer be listening to God either.”
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER



On the journey with you,
Dave & Jan Dravecky

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Healing, Pain, Prayer, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

Preparing to Walk Beside the Weak & Wounded

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June 21, 2012

- Category : Healing, Pain, Prayer, Walking Beside the Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

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I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see.
I sought my God, but God eluded me.
I sought my bother and I found all three.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN



People in pain often live a roller-coaster existence. They may appear fine one day and be totally withdrawn the next. So walking beside a family member or friend who is weak or wounded can be a challenge.



Identifying a suffering person’s greatest needs can also seem impossible because there are so many needs – physically, emotionally and spiritually. To make things more difficult – hurting people sometimes attempt to quiet their inner turmoil by trying to distract themselves from their pain. With a seemingly impenetrable focus, they deal primarily with tasks that require little or no emotional output. They can be oblivious to other people and responsibilities. No wonder it can be difficult to know how to help!



Although it can be difficult to walk beside a hurting person – it is also a privilege. God does not want any of us to walk alone. Our presence can be God’s gift of grace and comfort to that friend or family member. But in order to be vessels of God’s grace and comfort it is best if we cultivate and prepare the right perspective and the right heart attitude. When we do -we are better equipped to walk beside the weak and wounded and offer the hope and encouragement they so desperately need.



Be Led by the Holy Spirit



O LORD, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
PSALM 139:1-2 (NLT)



As the Psalm states – God alone knows our thoughts and hearts. So God knows best what our hurting friend needs at any given time.



Time after time during His earthly ministry, Jesus saw beyond the most obvious needs of hurting people to the most important ones. He was able to do this because He viewed people through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. As we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and prompt us – He will faithfully reveal the deepest needs of those who hurt. The single most important expression of love and concern we can show our friend is to walk with God – to be led by His Holy Spirit. Because as Jesus expressed –



“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.
Those who remain in me, and I in them,
will produce much fruit.
For apart from me you can do nothing.”
JOHN 15:5 (NLT)



Be Filled with God’s Love



First Corinthians 13:8 tells us



“love never fails.”



Of course the love that never fails is God’s love not ours. Our love is too weak – too fickle. It is dependent on our moods, schedules and imperfect hearts. But God’s love is sincere, life giving and powerful. And it is there for the asking. So when we find ourselves needing to love those who are hard to love or needing to love – when we feel weak and overwhelmed – we can ask God to fill us with His love so that we have love to give.



Without God’s love whatever we do for the weak and wounded falls short. First Corinthians 13:3 is crystal clear –



“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels
but have not love
I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”



Ouch! If we truly want to be God’s gift to a weak or wounded friend we need to ask Him to fill us with His love.



Pray First – Act Second



As Jesus went about His ministry on earth His sole agenda was to do the will of God –



“I do not seek My own will,
but the will of Him who sent Me.”
JOHN 5:30 (NASB)



Our agenda should be the same and we can discover God’s will through prayer. Everything we do for someone who is in pain is done best when it is bathed in prayer first. Through prayer we allow God to direct our steps.



This is what the LORD says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.”
ISAIAH 48:17



As we are led by the Holy Spirit – as we are filled with God’s love – and as we pray first and allow God to direct our actions – we are then prepared to walk beside the weak and wounded – one of the greatest privileges in life. Prepare to be blessed as you bless others.



God chooses carefully those who would bring
His message of hope, comfort and love to His suffering children.
If you have been chosen to be God’s hands, mouth or feet for your friend,
God will bless you richly as you let Him teach you His gentle ways
and how to walk in His strength.
DAVE AND JAN DRAVECKY
THE ENCOURAGEMENT BIBLE



On the journey with you,
Dave & Jan Dravecky

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Healing, Hope, Pain, Walking Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

Learn to Trust God and Others With Your Weaknesses

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June 5, 2012

- Category : Healing, Hope, Pain, Walking Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

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Then Jesus said,
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you,
because I am humble and gentle at heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
MATTHEW 11:29-30



Once we come face to face with our weaknesses and our sins then we need to take them before God. We need not be afraid to go to Him. If we need forgiveness and/or need to mature and grow in areas that we are incapable of doing ourselves then we need to ask God for forgiveness and allow Him deep within the darkness of our hearts. We must remember …



He who conceals his sins does not prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
PROVERBS 28:13



Not only do we find mercy instead of condemnation but also we discover that taking our weaknesses and sins before God is our first step to purifying our hearts.



If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 JOHN 1:9



It was not easy for me to take those first steps. It was difficult enough to admit my sins and weaknesses to myself let alone to my Lord. I was so humbled but once I did He lifted me up and I found mercy.



“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
JAMES 4;6,10



I now know I can trust Him with who I truly am – warts and all. And when I stumble I can trust that that He will uphold me.



The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
PSALM 37:23-24



I can also trust that He will continue to work within me – bringing His light into the darkness of my heart – building maturity within me – till I am with Him in heaven.



Being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 1:6



The next step I needed to take was to share my sins and my weaknesses with other safe people that I trusted. I still remember how hard it was to look my wife in the eyes and tell her I was scared. I was scared of facing those first batters in the Major Leagues – I was even more scared to face cancer and death – Me, the big tough strong Christian man.



But what a relief it was to get those burdens out in the open and to have others share my burdens. What an encouragement it is to have even one trustworthy person with whom we can share our wounds and our weaknesses that gnaw at us deep within our heart. When we are willing to let trusted safe people know our struggles, our fears and our needs it is so much easier to face life’s challenges together. We are not meant to live our lives alone. We need others to pick us up when we fall.



Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
ECCLESSIASTES 4:9-10



And we need the prayers of others.



Therefore confess you sins to each other
and pray for each other
so that you may be healed.
JAMES 5:16



Be assured that we can trust God and others with who we truly are. When we finally take this step then we will find we are on the only True Path to healing and maturity.



On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

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Fear, Healing, Pain, Walking Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

Adversity Introduces Us to Ourselves

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June 5, 2012

- Category : Fear, Healing, Pain, Walking Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

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It is amazing how strong we can become
when we begin to realize what weaklings we are.
It is in weakness that we can admit our mistakes and correct ourselves by confessing them.
It is in weakness that our minds are open to enlightenment from others.
It is in weakness that we are authoritative in nothing and
say the most clear-cut things with simplicity and consideration for others.
FRANCOIS FENELON




We each have an image of who we want to be. We can paint a pretty rosy picture of what we want people to see and we may be able to wear our masks and fool others as to who we really are quite successfully through life. But when adversity and suffering come along – the image changes. Like nothing else can, suffering exposes who we truly are. It exposes our weaknesses, spotlights our failures and bares our wounds.



No matter how flawless a picture of ourselves we have created, the truth is, we know there is another not-quite-so-nice person behind our masks. Whether we like it or not, we are weak people. There are areas of life that are hard for us. We face situations we fear we can’t handle -we respond in ways we wish we didn’t – we protect areas of woundedness. And because it is painful to face the real person behind the masks – most of us won’t do it until adversity or suffering strips away the image and forces us to be honest about who we are.



Without a doubt, adversity and suffering played a role in causing me to look at the image I had built of myself. When I first began pitching in the major leagues – it was tough. I had painted a picture of Dave Dravecky as the tough guy who could deal with any amount of pressure and pitch under any circumstances. The truth was those first days were downright awful. I did not pitch well and I was scared to death that I would not be able to cut it. I feared failure.



When I battled cancer, I was again forced to look honestly at the person behind the image. I was a Christian – I wanted to be good to others – I wanted to be kind – selfless instead of selfish. But what I saw of myself during that time of suffering was not good or kind or selfless. No, instead I was angry and I lashed out at those I loved most exposing the real me. I felt shame and I understood what the Apostle Paul meant when he said …



I do not understand what I do.
For what I want to do I do not do,
but what I hate I do.
ROMANS 7:15



I eventually realized that much of my anger was caused by fear. I was sure of my eternal destiny but I was afraid of my own mortality. Like so many other cancer patients I did not want to deal with that fear face to face. So I tried to hide it – escape it by putting on my tough-guy mask. I was not going to let my weakness show.



But the demons of fear, weakness, failure and woundedness don’t go away. They merely fester deep inside. We may think we escape them for a time but during our quiet alone moments they are right there – consuming us – paralyzing us. Then we have to muster up the energy to go back into the real world with our masks back on. But it is too exhausting to do that indefinitely.



I share about these two experiences from my life because in both cases I was pushed to face who I truly was and not only was it scary but I did not like what I felt or saw. I could not tell anybody what I was feeling because I was afraid to expose the real me. What I have learned since is that sooner or later whether we face cancer or any kind of adversity – every one of us has to face our weaknesses – we have to be real and honest about who we truly are.



We can try out best to hide who we truly are – we can continue to wear our masks but there is a better way to deal with our weaknesses, failures and wounds. That better way is to face honestly who we are and to share that truth with God and others we can trust. It begins when we accept the truth and admit that we are weak when all along we thought we were strong. We know this because the Lord says …



“My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9



Then we along with the Apostle Paul can honestly say …



Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That 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.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10



And we can say this because …
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
HEBREWS 4:15-16



On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

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Endurance for the Journey, Healing, Hope, Pain, Relationships, Words of Endurance

Run With Perseverance: Hang Out With Other Pitchers

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February 14, 2012

- Category : Endurance for the Journey, Healing, Hope, Pain, Relationships, Words of Endurance

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“Jesus the Messiah!
Father of all mercy!
God of all healing counsel!
He comes alongside us when we go through hard times,
and before you know it,
he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times
so that we can be there for that person
just as God was there for us.”
2 CORINTHIANS 1:4 (The Message)



There is nothing like having someone to journey through life’s valleys with who understands because they have journeyed the same path before you.



I know when I played baseball, my closest friends on the team, the ones that I always hung out with, were always other pitchers who understood all the stresses that a pitcher goes through during a normal baseball season.



Non-pitchers didn’t understand all the aches and pains that a pitcher has after throwing a nine-inning game. Non-pitchers didn’t understand the emotional stresses that a pitcher goes through after getting shell-shocked in the first inning of a game or the exhilaration of pitching a shutout.



We encouraged one another because we understood one another – we were journeying on the same path.



The same is true when journeying on the path through suffering …



Jennifer was more nervous than most visitors to our Endurance office. When I came into the reception area to greet her, she burst into tears. Jennifer had never seen another person with a full-quarter body amputation just like hers.



She was overwhelmed to see someone else who looked like her, someone else who understood how hard it was to button a shirt, wear shoulder pads or tie shoes. Nothing could replace what happened to Jennifer in that encounter. She had found someone else who understood.



Want to run with perseverance? Find others who are on the same journey as you – who understand.



If your church or community doesn’t have a Christian support group that addresses your specific need, consider meeting on an informal basis with others who are struggling with some of the same issues as you are. Like Jennifer, you may encounter someone who shares a similar journey, who understands the pitfalls, who lessens the loneliness that can accompany adversity.



“… I want us to help each other with the faith we have.
Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.”
ROMANS 1:12 (New Century Version)



On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

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Pain, Relationships, Words of Endurance

The Rocky Road of Relationships: We Need Each Other

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November 6, 2011

- Category : Pain, Relationships, Words of Endurance

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by Dave Dravecky



No one is wise enough to live alone, nor good enough nor strong enough. God has made us to a large degree dependent upon each other. From our brethren we can learn how to do things and sometimes also we can learn how not to do them….Next to God Himself we need each other most. We are His sheep and it is our nature to live with the flock. And too, it might be well to remember that should we for a moment lose sight of the Shepherd we only have to go where His flock is to find Him again. The Shepherd always stays with His flock.
A.W. Tozer
Born After Midnight



The school of pain and suffering teaches many lessons, and one rarely finds a student who has not learned something very important – even life-changing – about God, life, or relationships. These powerful, vivid lessons often leave an indelible mark on the character of their students. For me, one of the powerful lessons of pain and suffering had to do with relationships.



Before my cancer and the eventual amputation of my arm, I had friends, but I didn’t understand how important those relationships really were. Sure, I enjoyed my friends. It was nice to have friends. But it didn’t seem to met hat I needed those relationships. Boy did that change!



I learned that you cannot – and I mean, cannot – get through pain and suffering on your own. You eventually come to the end of yourself, and you need another person there to stand beside you and lift you up. To have a friend who is willing to make the personal sacrifice to be with you so that you are not alone is a powerful thing. When I was struggling, it was really important for me to know that my close friends were willing to sacrifice for me. Their sacrifice was a demonstration of God’s love for me.



I also learned that in the midst of pain and suffering you need another person whom you trust and with whom you can share your struggles and your pain. To have a friend who doesn’t come with an agenda, but who comes purely to be an encouragement is an amazing thing. When, in the midst of my pain, I could connect with another human being and share what was on my heart, it helped me recognize that God still loved and cared for me. It helped me realize that I could rely on God even in the midst of my suffering.



These lessons still affect me today. I have a tendency to be a loner, but I know how important good relationships are in my life, so building relationships that last is an important focus of my life. The memories of what other did for me encourage me to be the kind of friend that others were to me. They help me remember that when someone has a need, it’s important to be there – not to find an answer for the problem or to resolve the struggle, but to be there as a friend and an encouragement.



As you read this, I hope for two things. First, that you will recognize how very important (and difficult) relationships are in the midst of pain and suffering. Second, that the practical helps in this issue will enable you to successfully navigate the inevitable rocky spots. A.W. Tozer was absolutely right when he wrote that we can’t do it alone. We are dependent on one another, and “next to God Himself, we need each other most.”

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Pain, Purpose in Suffering?, Trust, Words of Endurance

Suffering Refines Our Faith

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November 1, 2011

- Category : Pain, Purpose in Suffering?, Trust, Words of Endurance

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So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead,
even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.
These trials will show that your faith is genuine.
It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—
though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.
So when your faith remains strong through many trials,
it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day
when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 PETER 1:6-7



At first, Dave and I were able to suffer what I call “pretty.” In the early days of our cancer journey, we genuinely were able to say that our faith and trust in God were strong – we felt strong – we looked strong to those who knew us.



But when our pain went from days to weeks to months to years – it was then that our faith and trust began to waver. It was then that our own personal weaknesses started to rise to the surface. For Dave, it was anger and rage. For me, it was fear at the loss of control resulting in major panic attacks. It was not “pretty.”



Our faith was being refined by the fiery trial we were facing. The process of refining and purifying gold takes time and a great deal of heat. As the gold is heated the impurities rise to the surface. It is only then that the goldsmith is able to see the impurities and then remove them leaving a purer form of gold.



Through our refining process God tested our faith and exposed our weaknesses. Our weak and feeble faith was strengthened. We dealt with our exposed weaknesses and worked towards healing. During this time we read a book by Ron Lee Davis entitled “Gold in the Making.” We pray that you will be encouraged as we were by his words:



“For the Christian affliction is gold in the making.
If we will cooperate in the process, we will come forth as gold.
Why cooperate with God in being refined? Why continue to stand against the strong current of loss, heartache, stress, and pain?
Because it is in the hot forge of trials that true Christian character is shaped, hammered, tempered and matured.
It’s there that the life of Jesus Christ is given its maximum opportunity to become part of our very own life.
It’s there that our thin, fragile veneer of theology is replaced by a tough reliable hide of convictions that enables us to face and handle life instead of escaping it.”



May we all share the same unshakable conviction of Job …
But he knows where I am going.
And when he tests me,
I will come out as pure as gold.
JOB 23:10



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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