LIVING WITH...AND LEARNING FROM
Barry F. Buckley
April 1, 1992
I have no trouble living with most things. I live with two spoiled but cherished cats. I live peacefully with my neighbors, those I know well and those I just wave to as we pass on the street. I live with the believers in our church. I live happily with Marj, my wife of thirty-two years. And of course I live with Jesus, my Savior and Lord.
But I also live with other things that, if I had my choice, I would rather not. This is where the battles are often fought.
One is heartache. It slows me down and at times lays me aside. It takes the edge off my life, dulls the joy of living, and frustrates my spirit at times At times, it is a voice that whispers I don't earn my keep. Other times it suggests, "If only this one thing was different, so much would be changed, so much might be right."
But that's not the case presently, so I have to live with, and, more importantly, to learn from that inner pain.
Yet so many people live with disabilities and limitations that, if allowed to, could erode and even destroy their Christian faith and work. Paul immediately comes to mind.
In 2 Corinthians 12, a chapter of contrast, Paul describes a man in Christ, identified by most commentators as Paul himself,- who on one hand saw visions and revelations of Christ, saw into heaven itself in a way unknown to most people, and who on the other hand experienced the buffeting of Satan. The thorn in his flesh brought both piercing pain and lingering agony.
Scholars dispute what Paul's thorn was. Some say it was physical, others spiritual, others relational. I've noticed that although in verse 7 Paul speaks of a single thorn, in verse 10 he describes many barbs: weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions, and difficulties.
One thing is clear. Paul was not so ...
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