Suffering Your Way to God

Many Beliefnet readers already know the story of David and Nancy Guthrie, whose daughter Hope died in infancy from a rare disorder known as Zellweger Syndrome. Despite David's vasectomy, the Guthries conceived again and their son Gabriel was born last year with the same condition as Hope.

Suffering the deaths of two infant children seems an unbearable experience, and Nancy and David are eloquent about their grief. But both feel they've learned much about how to live life and how to live with God, even through pain. Nancy's account of her children's lives, "Holding on to Hope," uses the Book of Job to explain how faith can co-exist with trouble, and to help those suffering as Nancy did. Recently, Beliefnet talked to Nancy and David about faith, loss and love.

"Holding on to Hope" has been described as a meditation on the Book of Job. In that story, God tests Job's faith to prove a point to Satan. It almost seems like a game, as if Job's suffering is senseless.
Nancy: It wasn't at all a game. And certainly Job didn't see it as senseless. All along he believed there was a reason for his suffering, even though God didn't completely spell his purposes out. Job came to a place where he was able to submit to it. He recognized that part of God's character is that he's a redeemer.

So Job came out as a better person?
Amazingly enough--and with a life that can be described as good. One translation says "And Job died having lived a long, good life." I was like, really? That's not how I think about Job's life. But it's the truth.

Do you think your experience with Hope and Gabriel is part of your good life?
Nancy: My life has been enriched and deepened by what I've experienced--and by how I've responded to it. Does that mean it was a good thing? I wouldn't go that far. But I would say God has used it for good in my life. There's a difference. I don't regret these past three or four years. There are days I wish Hope and Gabe were here and healthy, and that everything I learned from it-well, forget it. But I've been really blessed by what I've experienced, including my loss.

In the end Job says to God, thankfully, "You've revealed yourself to me." Why does God reveal himself in such remote and strange ways?
Nancy: I'm not anywhere near smart enough to answer that. What I would say is, maybe you went on a road trip with someone, or worked on a project with them and slept on bunk beds for a week. After that, you feel really know that person. When we've done something difficult with someone, we know them in a more intimate way than we could just sitting on a patio drinking mai-tai's. Perhaps that's a way God reveals himself to us. He reveals himself in way he can't through comfort and ease.

Continued on page 2: »