I wanna Be Like Job...

In the book of Job, the lead character loses his family, his wealth, his health and is then criticized by his friends. This is all brought on by a challenge given to Satan by God to prove a point. Wow, I hope God does not choose me to make any points with Satan! But then again, God can do anything, and if I’m here to prove a point then so be it. Sometimes I get the feeling that God is using me to prove something, but is keeping me from knowing exactly what that something is for my own good. He wants me to learn, grow, mature and become aware of just what my purpose is before making it very obvious. In this way, I will become the servant I was meant to be and my purpose for my earthly existence will become very clear.

Like Job, I have faced many trials, many downturns in my life, suffering only a few scars to show for it. Literally, I have several scars from the brain surgeries as a reminder that God is with me always. Like Job, I have been faced with the strange looks from friends who felt that I was not making sound decisions, or that I must be doing something wrong to justify all of the bad things that have come my way. Like Job, I have not lost faith. One of my favorite lines from this book is Job 19:25…”For I know that my Redeemer lives.”

As devoted servants of our Lord and God, we must never forget the proven fact that He lives. It is too easy for us to get lost in the mundane activities of life that seem to grab our attention away from this very fact. Before we know it, we can be plagued with the same things that brought Job to his knees. We must be prepared to play the lead role for our God, suffering the many terrible things this world can throw at us, and play the role of Job, winning an Oscar for our performance. If we take on the faith and trust displayed by my hero Job, then we can be the example for the rest of the world. We can bring unbelievers to Christ just by living a life that demonstrates our faith, trust and ultimate belief that God is with us, through thick and thin.

I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. When faced with adversity, pain and suffering, we must always wear a smile, an outward appearance that we know we will be taken care of no matter what the final outcome. We must be His messengers, shouting to the world that there is a God, that Jesus Christ was born, crucified, and rose from the dead, and that these things are real, true and evident in us. As a brain tumor survivor, I try to do this in my actions and words. I try to maintain a positive outlook, conveying to others that there is a God and that no matter what happens to me, He will be there to take care of me. When I run marathons after dealing with the five rounds of brain surgery, ankle reconstruction, rotator cuff surgery and more, I am shouting (figuratively) to everyone …”for I know that my Redeemer lives.”

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW ?