A friend was going through a stormy, difficult period. She was experiencing the physical pain and emotional suffering that illness brings in its wake. While our culture seems hesitant to acknowledge it, such times usually involve a spiritual dimension as well. My friend felt abandoned, no longer sure that God cared for or about her.

As I sat with her, she told me, “All I want is my old life back.” I understand that sentiment, but I don’t think the odds are good. Serious illnesses have a tendency to shatter some of the “certainties” around which a life has been lived. People often emerge from such periods with a greater sense of the fragility of life - and, in some cases, a deeper capacity for compassion for themselves and others. 

It was not enjoyable being with my friend while her world was so shaken, but I did sense that “peace that passes all understanding” as we weathered particularly difficult moment of her illness together. That peace enabled me to hope that my friend would come through the pain and suffering. With grace, she would do more than endure - she would emerge transformed. She would see the joys and sorrows of her life from a new vantage point - and I prayed that she would know she was never really abandoned. Love was always present.