Death Does Not Own MeSample

RATHER THAN ALLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES TO CONQUER YOU, YOU HAVE TO CONQUER YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE!

There were many follow-up appointments, strong pain meds, & big challenges ahead.

Dan's first thought was work.  His first goal was to go back.  In his line of business, he had to write, type, hold a clipboard, and use a tape measure.  Seems impossible to think he would consider going back to his job with only one arm, but he was determined and just 6 weeks after the amputation he decided to go back.  

I drove him the first two weeks and watched as he would lay his tape measure along a wall and lock it, pull the tape recorder out of his pocket and record each measurement.  It was a very slow process, but once back in his office he would play back what he taped and type with one finger and pause and play and hunt and peck.  

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3-5

At his 6-week checkup, his surgeon asked if he needed a refill on his very addictive pain medicine, and Dan said, “I am choosing to not take them because I don’t want to get addicted and have a double problem.”  Yes, his pain was not good in the beginning, and phantom pain is very real.  Unfortunately to date, there is no medicine to relieve it.  

I shared all of this to encourage you that whatever you are encountering, you can be a conqueror!  Dan worked another 6 years before he retired.  During those 6 years, he lost a big contract, because he wasn’t able to keep up, but he kept his smaller contract and was very successful.  God planted within man a grain of faith and if you use that faith to the fullest potential and trust God during your circumstance, you too will rise above it!

CAN YOU RELATE?

We learn through our valley times; we grow through our circumstances and in my case as a wife of an amputee, I learned and grew watching a man with great perseverance. None of us want to have trouble.   No one wants hardships.  No one wants to face loss, but we live real lives in a real world, where bad things happen to good people. The key is learning to live knowing we don't have to be on the losing end!

WHAT WE LEARNED IN TODAY’S STUDY:

• Endurance and perseverance are powerful forces!

• The inner will of man is more powerful than medicine!

• When faith is used, even if you fail at one thing, you can be successful at another!

• We learn and grow through our trials!

• We are in control of what we allow!