{"id":3388,"date":"2013-01-02T12:15:20","date_gmt":"2013-01-02T17:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=3388"},"modified":"2013-01-02T12:15:20","modified_gmt":"2013-01-02T17:15:20","slug":"gods-shouts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2013\/01\/gods-shouts.html","title":{"rendered":"God’s shouts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Two of my good friends are also members of Special Gathering, which is a ministry within the mentally challenged community. \u00a0They are going through extremely difficult times. Last night I spent a good deal of time with them. \u00a0It was a fun outing; but my purpose was to extend our friendship. \u00a0Also, I hoped that they’d be willing to share a brief glimpse with me into their pain.<\/p>\n

It happened. \u00a0Several off-handed remarks were passed along by both young women. \u00a0Mentally, I paused for a few minutes and took note. \u00a0I wasn’t able to be alone with one of the women. But after everyone had been taken home; and we were riding alone in the car,\u00a0\u00a0the other one shared openly.<\/p>\n

\"sharing\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I asked a question, reminding my friend, Lyleth, of the remark she had made. \u00a0Lyleth jumped in feet first\u00a0and shared the painful poison residing in her heart.\u00a0\u00a0I reminded her of God’s promises. \u00a0She clinched her lips and shook her head. \u00a0Her silence screamed resistance.<\/p>\n

C. S. Lewis wrote,\u00a0\u00a0“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” (C.S.Lewis,\u00a0The Problem of Pain. \u00a0<\/em>New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1962, pg 93.) \u00a0Explaining God’s love to a person who is mentally challenged is often less complicated than trying to penetrate the heart of a smarty-pajamas who has life figured out. \u00a0However, the kind of deep, penetrating grief that these women are experiencing is never easy to explain in logical or Biblical terms.<\/p>\n

\"megaphone\"<\/a>Yet, the hardship of pain often leaves us mute and disturbed because of our own inadequacy to understand or embrace deep hurts of the past or present. \u00a0Watching the anguish of my friend as she faces what will be the death of all she truly loves, my heart was wrenched because of my inability to reach out and heal.<\/p>\n

After I dropped her off, I went Wal-Mart even though it was after 10PM. \u00a0I needed to pace and debrief my spirit. \u00a0I walked for an hour pushing my cart \u00a0in the security of the lighted building, praying and asking God to release my friends from the uncertainly and pain that the future holds for them.<\/p>\n

I came home still uneasy, hurting for my friends whose pain will only increase in the months ahead. \u00a0However, during the night, God did a wonderful miracle in me. \u00a0I was able to release them into His care. \u00a0He is the only one who can heal and bring true growth. \u00a0His megaphone not only alerts us; but the pain He announces has a wonderful way of teaching, healing and releasing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two of my good friends are also members of Special Gathering, which is a ministry within the mentally challenged community. \u00a0They are going through extremely difficult times. Last night I spent a good deal of time with them. \u00a0It was a fun outing; but my purpose was to extend our friendship. \u00a0Also, I hoped that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,40,186,49,16,8,4,41],"tags":[690,21,688,638,639,7,699,715,701,694,709,689,640,57,6,687,700],"class_list":["post-3388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-cs-lewis","tag-cs-lewis-quote-about-pain","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-leadership","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-pain","tag-prayer","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-simple-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nGod's shouts - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"God's shouts - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Two of my good friends are also members of Special Gathering, which is a ministry within the mentally challenged community. \u00a0They are going through extremely difficult times. 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