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[Note: I will be in Toronto next weekend, August 28-30. If you\u2019d like to join me there, here are the details.<\/a> Also, the need in Kenya we\u2019ve been discussing over the last couple of weeks has been fully met. \u00a0Thanks for your generosity.]<\/em><\/p>\n Last weekend, Sara and I attended a Patient and Family Briefing of the International Myeloma Foundation<\/a> to learn more about my cancer and the treatment options should it relapse in the future. While we were there, God may have opened some doors to help the Foundation provide a process of spiritual care for people who are suddenly shocked to discover they have a life-threatening disease. That got me thinking about how I\u2019ve seen Jesus help people through a crisis of faith brought on by desperate circumstances. At 4:00 in the morning last Saturday, I found myself outlining the process I keep in mind when I walk alongside someone whose trust in God has been compromised by tragedy. I share about that on this week\u2019s podcast, which you can listen to here.<\/a><\/p>\n But I want to share that process here, so people won\u2019t have to take notes through the podcast to see whether they find it helpful for themselves or someone they love. This is not a formal program or a set of steps to complete. It is a flexible set of guidelines that can be shaped around the unique journey of each person or small group. For some, that journey may unfold over a few months; for others, it may take a year or more.<\/p>\n Even though there are five different topics, they are not meant to be followed in a rigid order. They will overlap and weave together as people learn to live with the realities of the disease or disaster while also making room for grief, questions, trust, and hope. The goal is not to \u201cfix\u201d anyone or resolve every spiritual question, but to create\u00a0space for people to honestly process what has happened, rediscover God\u2019s presence within it, and find their way toward a more honest and resilient faith.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Find a safe, nonjudgmental space for honest reflection.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n It could be with a support group, friend, or counselor, but find those with whom you can share how your diagnosis has shaken your faith, your assumptions about God, or your sense of safety. Look for people who won\u2019t rush to defend God or resolve your tension; they will simply offer a caring heart and a listening ear.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Let yourself face what has changed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Make room for the grief, fear, anger, loss, and uncertainty that the diagnosis has brought. Faith doesn\u2019t minimize pain or pretend everything is fine.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Invite God into the questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n Rather than suppressing your questions, wrestle with them openly.\u00a0The goal isn\u2019t to find tidy answers, but to discover how God is present with you as you explore the questions you bring to him.<\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Did he do this to me? 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Look for God within this new reality<\/strong><\/p>\n Where do you sense transcendence, presence, tenderness, beauty, companionship, or unexpected grace?\u00a0Trust can begin to recover\u00a0when we sense that God\u2019s posture toward us is not accusation or indifference, but something more like:<\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m sorry you are going through this.\u201d 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Learn to live from that place of companionship.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Now, you can face treatment, uncertainty, relationships, and difficult decisions with a growing sense that God is with you, come what may. \u00a0You can receive the care available to you, live as fully as you can each day, and remain open to whatever healing, meaning, or unexpected gift may emerge along the way.<\/p>\n This is obviously not an intellectual roadmap that can be applied indiscriminately to every situation. It\u2019s a set of markers to help you sense the ebb and flow of the Spirit as you navigate this process or as you help someone do so. If you want me to talk you through this, please listen to this podcast.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n There is no greater gift amid crisis and difficulty than the gift of presence\u2014just being alongside them, witnessing their struggle, sharing their grief, affirming their journey as Jesus makes himself known. I hope this helps you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhen Faith Gets Challenged<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Am I being punished for something I did wrong?
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Is he allowing this to teach me something?
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How can I trust God when he didn\u2019t protect me from this?
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Others?<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI love you, and I see you.\u201d
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou are not alone, even when you feel like you are.\u201d
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cLet me help you navigate the road ahead.\u201d
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Others?<\/p>\n