The Healthy Benefits of Kryptonite (II of III)

Truth is, I had a few other thoughts rattling around my brain when I posted my first superhero reflection a day or two ago.

Truth also is that I've been remiss in my work, confessedly on account of it being less fun to do with just one hand. So I was going to let the other thoughts fall through the cracks and maybe catch up on work.

Was.

Then came the blog from a dear family member covering (seriously?) not merely the superhero theme but also one of the principal thoughts I'd given up on getting down in writing.

The link above is probably going to be good for years, but my rule of thumb is to assume no such thing. So I shamelessly will post Koodaigirl's post here en todo.

Hard Questions (By Koodaigirl)

"Why?"... she stumbled to formulate her question. Sweet girl.

She asked, with hesitation, as if unsure of the appropriateness. Maybe she was wondering, 'Can I even ask such a question?' ...

"Why... do you think... why, would God allow you to have this long term illness? Is there something... anything... is there a 'reason'? What has He shown you?"

What a question! What a beautiful, honest, appropriate question. We ask it all the time, don't we? Deep in our hearts, we wonder. We hesitate to ask. Why, Lord? We want to understand. We want reason behind pain and suffering. I have asked this question about many things through the years. Sometimes, I get 'the answer' (or an answer) and sometimes I don't. A hard question. No easy-come answers, to be sure.

But, when this young gal asked (who has her own long-term illness with which she must wrestle), ... when she asked... I had an answer. I knew the answer.

It surprised me.

It came so quickly to my mind and so clearly to my heart... that I just knew. I knew ---at least---one of the reasons He has allowed me to suffer with pain, weakness, and illness (in varying degrees) my whole life.

It is my Kryptonite. That was the thought. A funny thought, right!?

I am ...as I truly believe we ALL are... a gifted, competent, strong person. I am super-girl. This illness has given me a gift--a huge gift.

My answer to her was simple: It is my Kryptonite. It reminds me most days that I need God. I desperately, desperately need Him. I have weakness and that is okay... I have a strong God!

I believe that if I hadn't been allowed this suffering, I would have easily done life on my own. Entirely.

My pain and illness have been a key... a pathway and a light along the path; always leading me to my desperation for God. Through the years of suffering, if I have 'learned' anything it would be my need of God: as my Father, my Deliverer, my Provider, my Calm, my Shepherd, my Strength, and my Shield. I, laughingly, admit that I can't even sleep without Him. It's true. I can't!

I have learned--- and continue to learn every day--- that His grace is truly sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

After sharing this with my young friend, she said a profound thing, "Wow. That is almost the exact thought that has been growing in my heart these past weeks." God has been answering her hard, awkward question, too.

Yes! I am so glad you asked, sweet girl.

Closing Reflections (From Pilgrim)

Thank you, Koodaigirl! So many good thoughts.

Superheroes make the present world perfect (sorta) but suffering directs our attention away from our present world (which, sooner or later, will fall wildly short of perfection) to a perfect world (a promised land) that we have not yet taken hold of.

Kryptonite prevents fictional superheroes from saving the world, but for us mere mortals it delivers a timely (if painful) reminder that we are not superheroes. And that we desperately need our Savior God.

Let that be an encouragement to all of us. Superheroes are a fiction, but God is real. He is indeed our Strength. Our Shield. And, best of all, His plan is not to preserve an endless truce with evil in an imperfect world. Superheroes will face new problems tomorrow, but God has promised us a final victory and a redeemed world made perfect. Perfect for Good.

But there's another blessing that Krypronite bestows upon us. That for the next blog post, but a hint of it here.

In an earlier post, Koodaigirl made me aware of singer Audrey Assad, who has been singing to me non-stop now for a week or two. I'm not exaggerating. I have a touch of Asperger's and my tolerance for repetition really is that high! Yes, when I fall in love with some new music, I play it non-stop for a while.

I mention Audrey Assad here because (all topics eventually return me to my recent thumb injury) I have not been sleeping well, of late. Normally? I sleep soundly every night. But with a cast on and two throbbing fingers, I've now been tossing and turning for weeks.

Should we laugh? Cry? Do both? I'm not sure. But during several sleepless nights I could literally hear Audrey singing to me. She kept singing the same song. All night long. (Is she Asperger's too?) What was she singing?

Wait for it...

Restless

And I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
I am restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
Oh God, I wanna rest in You