Job 30:24-31
“Surely no one would turn against the needy
when they cry for help in their trouble.
Did I not weep for those in trouble?
Was I not deeply grieved for the needy?
So I looked for good, but evil came instead.
I waited for the light, but darkness fell.
My heart is troubled and restless.
Days of suffering torment me.
I walk in gloom, without sunlight.
I stand in the public square and cry for help.
Instead, I am considered a brother to jackals
and a companion to owls.
My skin has turned dark,
and my bones burn with fever.
My harp plays sad music,
and my flute accompanies those who weep.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I have to admit…I am mildly obsessed with TLC’s “The Little Couple”. I am so impressed with Jennifer Arnold and Bill Klein… two “little people” who live incredible lives, despite what many would consider an obvious “handicap”. Jen Arnold is a neonatologist at Texas Children’s Hospital. YES…she is a physician who cares for sick infants, despite being only 3’2” tall herself! Husband Bill (who measures a whopping 4 feet in height!) is a successful medical supplies and telemarketing businessman. They also own a doggy boutique in Houston, Texas…which is managed by Jen’s mother.
Jen and Bill endured countless surgeries during their childhood. And in fact, Bill underwent a hip surgery that was a documented story line in one of the early seasons of the television program. After their marriage, the couple decided they wanted to become parents. There were concerns with a conventional pregnancy and delivery because of Jen’s small size…but she underwent several attempts at in vitro fertilization – none of which were successful long-term.
The couple decided that adoption was a better option, so they sought children who had a similar form of dwarfism…feeling that this would be a good fit for them as parents – and that since there would be fewer parents seeking children of small stature, they could bless the lives of someone else with this condition. The couple traveled to China in March 2013, to adopt their son…3-year-old Will. Before they could actually make the trip, the couple was contacted about the availability of a daughter in India. On October 25, 2013, Arnold and Klein adopted beautiful, brown-eyed, 2-year-old Zoey from an Indian orphanage.
While completing Zoey’s adoption in India, Jen became seriously ill and had to return to Houston for medical attention. She was diagnosed with late stage choriocarcinoma… a rare form of cancer that resulted from a miscarriage in September 2013. Jen Arnold underwent four months of heavy-duty chemotherapy treatments…and today, she is totally cancer free! The first part of the current season’s episodes dealt in part with her illness…and chronicled her treatments and the jubilant “ringing of the bell” in her oncology ward after the successful outcome was announced.
There will be some who point to this couple’s notoriety…their “fame and fortune” on this popular television series…and say, “They’ve got it made. What do they have to complain about?” For the record, I don’t recall a time on the series (and I’ve watched every episode!) that either one of these people have complained about anything…much less asked, “Why me?”…or wrung their hands about all of the challenges that they have faced.
I am certain that you can name at least one person who would qualify as someone who is a “good person” that experiences “bad things”…or at best, cannot seem to “catch a break”. Maybe you are even one of them. Almost 16 years ago, my family experienced something of a “successive chain” of losses and serious illnesses. My brother and my dad were both terminally ill at the same time…a dear cousin died while telling a joke one morning at a local coffee shop… another cousin’s wife died of breast cancer…and my grandmother’s long-time companion (who was like a 2nd grandfather to us) died of bladder cancer. Then my brother’s dog contracted tick fever and died. She had become my mother’s constant companion…and it was like losing my brother all over again. Even today, close friends will say to me, “Your family has gone through SO much!” And yes…that was a rough, rough time…and there have been others before and since. But I hope these experiences do not define me...at least not in a "pitiful" way.
Here’s the thing. We’re not the only ones with challenges. God did not look at my family and say, “I think I’ll pick on them!” He didn’t look at Jen Arnold and Bill Klein and say, “These families need to suffer through years of heartaches and surgeries and challenges with a child who has dwarfism. THEN, I’ll put the two families together and give them even BIGGER hurdles and anguishes. And He has not singled you out for suffering, either! God does not operate like this!
Yes, God allows us to “go through stuff”…and a lot of it ain’t all that pretty! But here’s where “the wheat separates from the chaff”, so to speak…God equips us to handle these things – and more. Our “test” is not the “rough stuff” per se…it’s what we do with it. How we react…what we do with our troubles…the way that we use these experiences to strengthen our faith and be a more effective witness for Jesus is what truly matters. This is what God looks for…what He expects!
If we wallow in self-pity and allow our experiences to define us as a victim, our faith has no substance. Nobody enjoys heartache and suffering. No one wants to be sad…or to face one struggle after another. But we have a choice…we can wallow in misery and defeatism…or we can say, “God got me through this…and He will do the same for others.” It is up to us to use our own experiences to share God’s grace, mercy, compassion, love and kindness with others… to encourage them to stay strong, keep their chins up, and expect a better day.
I pray that Jen Arnold has “smooth sailing” from this point forward…that she can focus on saving the lives of countless infants who pass through the doors at Texas Children’s Hospital. I also pray that she can give priority to nurturing her two precious children, Will and Zoey…and giving them a bright and promising future. But I have a feeling that whatever comes her way, she will handle it with dignity, faith and courage…and she will continue to serve as a source of encouragement and hope for others.
What about you? Will you be a person who says, “Why me?”…or one who asks, “What do I do with this?” A life in Christ is not so much about how “good” you are as it is about how well you serve…in all circumstances. Bad things DO happen to “good” people. But God can use all of it for His glory. Are you allowing Him to do this in your life? Isn’t it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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