Just wanted to share a true story,and what my brother said that really touched me, in a way nothing else ever has.
About seven years ago, my brother went to the hospital, complaining of a back and knee pain. Seeing that he is obese, naturally the emergency staff thought this was normal. So, they sent my brother home with a prescription for pain meds. Two days later, he was back at the emergency room. This time X rays and MRI's were taken. They thought there was a tumor on his spine. They didn't know what to do. He was flown to Tulsa, where when he arrived, he was already paralyzed from the waist down. An emergency surgery was preformed, which saved my brothers life. His back was sliced open, and a massive staff infection was scraped off his spine, leaving him paralyzed for life.
My mother and I rotated staying over night with my brother in intensive care. My brother was receiving morphine, to control the pain. I have had to crawl into the emergency room, with my own back problems in the past. But, I can't imagine the level of pain this must have been. He would go in and out of consciousness. The moaning with agony was heart breaking. I would have reverted to using my old Navy language. But, not my brother. At one point, during this agony, he opened his eyes and said in a loud voice, "God is good! I know He is! Oh, could you imagine what things would be like if he wasn't."
I break down in tears every time I tell this story. As a mater of fact, I'm in tears as I write this.
Now, when non believers ask the old question, "If God is good, why does He allow so much suffering to take place?" my response is "Oh, could you imagine what things would be like if He wasn't"
About seven years ago, my brother went to the hospital, complaining of a back and knee pain. Seeing that he is obese, naturally the emergency staff thought this was normal. So, they sent my brother home with a prescription for pain meds. Two days later, he was back at the emergency room. This time X rays and MRI's were taken. They thought there was a tumor on his spine. They didn't know what to do. He was flown to Tulsa, where when he arrived, he was already paralyzed from the waist down. An emergency surgery was preformed, which saved my brothers life. His back was sliced open, and a massive staff infection was scraped off his spine, leaving him paralyzed for life.
My mother and I rotated staying over night with my brother in intensive care. My brother was receiving morphine, to control the pain. I have had to crawl into the emergency room, with my own back problems in the past. But, I can't imagine the level of pain this must have been. He would go in and out of consciousness. The moaning with agony was heart breaking. I would have reverted to using my old Navy language. But, not my brother. At one point, during this agony, he opened his eyes and said in a loud voice, "God is good! I know He is! Oh, could you imagine what things would be like if he wasn't."
I break down in tears every time I tell this story. As a mater of fact, I'm in tears as I write this.
Now, when non believers ask the old question, "If God is good, why does He allow so much suffering to take place?" my response is "Oh, could you imagine what things would be like if He wasn't"