God is on your side

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

By D. A. Higgins

It’s a sure bet just about everyone knows someone who experienced trials, tribulations, challenges, sorrow and pain. Each one of us probably has been through our own versions of the same. Somehow, we are here to say we survived. For many, a deep faith in God has kept us going and provided the spiritual support to help us overcome the hurdles that stood in our way. What about those who don’t believe in God? How do they make it through their own traumas without leaning on God?

Ted and I have dear friends who are agnostics. They weren’t raised that way but entered into the field of doubt regarding the existence of God as they grew older. And, throughout their lives they have experienced more tragedy and trauma than most people could ever imagine, yet they survived and endured. They amaze us in several ways, especially through their strength and perseverance. They both are well educated and worked at important professions before retiring with limited incomes. They raised two successful sons and have two grandchildren. During the 52 years they have been married, they lost their family home through no fault of their own, survived three bouts with cancer, and were homeless for a short period of time. Their health continues to deteriorate as they fight new medical challenges. Yet, through it all, they both continue to help others, including rescuing more than 20 homeless and abandoned cats along with several dogs. In addition, they supported their sons through college and stood by one son who follows an alternative lifestyle. They assist elderly neighbors and run errands for those who can’t get around.

As this is being written, our friend is facing yet another medical trauma. His body is being invaded by sepsis infections. He’s hospitalized with three different antibiotics filtering throughout his blood stream to fight the aggressive infection and he is fighting mad. Vehemently vowing to overcome this bacterial invasion, he and his wife remain determined and confident they will prevail. We pray they will and our good friend recovers and comes home.

Their clearly defined sense of personal ethics and their firm belief in thinking everything will turn out okay have been their standards by which they live their lives. They are two of the most kind, supportive, non-judgmental, accepting people we know. And, they ask for nothing from anyone. We knew that each one was experiencing new rounds of medical issues that were not getting better anytime soon. We wanted to help. Around Christmas time I said to our friend, “What can we do for you to make your life easier?” Her answer brought tears to my eyes. “We have everything we need right here. Our home is not perfect but it’s warm and safe. Our freezer has enough food for our needs. We have money to keep our bills paid and we have our family and friends. We find pleasure in our pets. What more do we need?” was our friend’s response.

Our friends may not go to church, read the Bible or believe in the existence of a higher plane, but it’s clear from my point of view, God believes in them. What more do we need?