By DANNY MINTON

February 13, 1994

“Well, today was not the best of days — I found out I have cancer.

But oh, what blessings I have enjoyed! Love of family, friends, and

fellow Christians; honest and honorable caregivers; reasonable comfort.

Today, God began to show me the ballpark I will be called upon to

 play in. My assignment is unclear — He will show me in due time.

 But I am certain that He rules the field of play, and He will provide

 the strength I need. To bring glory to Him. The enemy cannot win!”

It was November 1994 when I sat listening to these words from Jud Shield’s diary, just three days after he died of cancer in an Abilene hospital. What a powerful message! What a great statement of faith and trust in the Father! 

Two months after Jud’s funeral, a young family man distraught over his life placed a gun to his head and committed suicide. In California, a woman attempted to end her life by leaping from the Golden Gate Bridge. Another woman, anguishing over her financial and family problems, shot her two children and then turned the gun on herself, ending her life. Story after story makes its way across our newspaper and TV newscasts on a daily basis about the tragedy that results when people feel they have nowhere to turn. Tranquilizers, therapy groups, depression, divorce, murder, prison, abuse, and more are sad commentary on the struggle so many are having as they try to cope with life’s heartaches. 

But then there are people like Jud. What makes some of us accept whatever befalls us with courage while others turn to violence or withdraw to themselves? The answer to this question is simple. It’s where we turn to find answers to the tests we face, not just the major problems but also those everyday hurdles that eat at our daily lives. Most of us focus on ourselves when we face life’s tests. We spend most of the time looking at what has befallen us and have the “Woe is me!” mentality. “Why me, Lord?”  “What have I done to deserve such pain and suffering? I’ve tried everything I know, but things don’t seem to get any better!”  The negatives of life close in on us until we lose hope and resort to any means to ease the pain. We’ve all been there, balancing on the edge of self-destruction. We’ve gotten up in the middle of the night, not knowing how to relieve the stress of our problems. We’ve screamed, we’ve yelled, we’ve cried and spent countless hours of worry. 

Then there are the others, the ones who smile even though facing the door of death. Some have the “peace that passes understanding,” and are more concerned about how those around them are doing instead of themselves. I know an elder who has seen his family suffer tremendously over the past several years. Every time he turns around, Satan throws another dart at him or his loved ones. Still, he remains “strong and courageous.” Even when he’s down, he shows the courage and trust in God that is evident to everyone around him. You can tell he has that peace which Paul encourages us to have. 

Years ago, a young boy named Steven was accidentally shot by his teenage sister. It was an accident but left the young child in critical condition with the possibility of death or permanent paralysis from the waist down. His sister was devastated by what had happened and spent hours in tears outside the door of her brother’s hospital room. When Steven had regained consciousness, one of the first people he saw was his sister, her head buried in his sheets, crying, “I’m sorry, Steven, I’m so sorry.”  The young man raised his weakened arm and gently placed his hand on his sister’s head and softly stroked her hair, saying, “It’s okay, Sis; I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. Don’t worry. God will take care of me.”

Not long after Jud passed, I had another friend pass away. His name was Bill. For twenty years, he suffered from the painful grip of Muscular Dystrophy. His health had deteriorated from that of a young, vibrant, healthy young man, able to walk and run to a man with a broken body in a wheelchair and eventually to bed. However, even though his body refused to work correctly, his spirit remained as still, vibrant, and confident as ever. Instead of wallowing in despair, he and his wife, Doris, spent hours encouraging others. Countless letters, notes, and phone calls poured out upon anyone they saw needing encouragement. People would see Bill while he was sick in bed, hoping to cheer him up, but would leave having been blessed by his gift to them. At his funeral, I went up to Doris, hoping to give her some words of encouragement. But before I could speak, Doris took my hand and said, “I just want you to know that from the first time Bill and I heard you teach, we’ve had profound respect for you. Bill and I talked several times about how much we appreciate you.” Wow! You go up to comfort someone in pain from the loss of a loved one and walk away comforted and blessed. 

We cannot always control what happens to us in life. Things happen, events that alter the course of our journey in life. Each of us has and will face challenges that we don’t want to meet but must. Although we may not have control over some things that happen, we always have control over how we react. We can choose to go into depression, become angry, lash out at others, or hide from the world.

On the other hand, we can face the challenges, knowing that with God’s help, we will weather the storms we face. We may not know what the results will be, but we can make the best of the journey. If we bring the glory to God, “The enemy cannot win!”

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ