Danny & Landon
I spoke with my father in law yesterday morning. He’s a tough man, that Danny Samples. He stands at about 6 feet, 7 inches tall and looks to weigh a stout 837 pounds. He’s a grizzly bear on the outside with a Teddy Bear’s heart. He was forced to say farewell to the love of his life before he wanted to do so when Deborah passed from earth to Heaven. Danny is hurting in ways that defy his ability to speak. He’s a tough fella…but he’s 100% human and looking for direction in a new world without his long-trusted compass. Along with her husband, Deborah’s children, siblings, grandchildren and in-laws are working through that unwelcome visitor known to us as Grief.
I’d kick Grief out of the neighborhood if I knew ahead of time he was heading my way. He makes me uncomfortable and I have no fondness for him. He’s too large for my nice, tidy world and my life doesn’t have enough room for him. Even though he’s an unwelcome visitor, I see that he’s never rude to anyone he visits. He seems to come wanting to help us but we don’t really trust him. We’d rather stay busy than to sit and listen to Grief’s counsel. He tells us to sit still; he suggests that it would help us to spend a fair amount of time crying. We are uncomfortable with the weight of precious memories when we are hurting but Grief keeps talking about them non-stop. We don’t really wish to go there but he has a strong grip and won’t take no for an answer. Grief is not out to get us but we sure wish he’d leave us alone for the rest of our days. I’m learning one thing about Grief and the horse he rode in on. Grief is saddled up, riding on his horse, Suffering. That horse emerged in the Garden of Eden when the serpent was slithering away after messing with Adam and Eve. Grief and Suffering are always together and I look forward to the day when they ride toward the sunset and leave us alone forever. Before they leave, however, something is going to take place. Much as I hate to admit it, I owe these two some thanks because they help me in my journey of faith. You see, they make me more like Jesus. Peter put it this way:
“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” – 1 Peter 4:1-2 {ESV}
Grief and Suffering have a way of leaving us more like Jesus than before they came to us uninvited. I’m not really sure how they work their magic in our lives but I already see that I’m better off spiritually than I was prior to June 16th when our lives changed in a bonecrushing moment of metal on metal. Unprofitable things that were occupying my heart have been chased away as Grief and Suffering took over. My silly frustrations, sense of control, iron-clad plans for the immediate future…Suffering evicted them. Suffering makes room for Peace who always knocks on the door when Grief has finished up his work. It won’t be long before Peace invites Joy and Joy brings Laughter with her when she arrives. In the past, I recall that I rarely notice Grief and Suffering slip out the door and move on. It’s like we just wake up one day and notice that they left without saying goodbye. Hope comes in with a strong presence and starts showing us how to press on. Yes, we’ve been here before and made it. I reckon that we’ll be able to do so again.
In our lives, let’s take advantage of Grief. Let’s not ignore them and pretend that he hasn’t arrived. How about we seek God and ask Him how to cooperate with the suffering that He sent our way? It’s a great time to check our lives for sin that doesn’t belong there while we seek to receive again any virtues that we may have let go. I’m not one for sitting around and feeling sorry for myself. If sadness must be with me, it’s going to be the caboose, not the engine. I’ll take sadness with me if I have to but I just can’t give in to the temptation to let it determine the course for my future days. My eternal Conductor wouldn’t want that for me. He’s laid the tracks, purchased my ticket and determined my destination. Why walk alone when I can ride with Him?
We are still praying for you and yours. Love you bro.
I was so hurt to hear of the awful accident that took your Mother in law’s life and so seriously injured you wife. I have been listening to you on TV for about two years. I am unable to attend church because of my husband who has alzheimers and needs my care 24/7. What a blessing your sermons have been to me and others with whom I have shared your CDs. I feel like I know you and your family because you talk about them so fondly in your sermons. I had read your Mother in law’s blog just a few days before the accident. I was so moved by it I printed a copy and put it in my bible. I know this must be a great loss to all of you. I am praying for your family.
I hope and pray Amy has a speedy and pain free recovery. Thank you for sharing your family and thank you for your preaching. It has really helped me grow in Christ. May God bless you all. In Christ love.
We understand how Danny Samples is hurting though he does not show it.May God give him abundance of comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3,4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
2 Corinthians 12:7 “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh , a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.”
Let us meditate on these verses.We will be abundantly comforted,
Sam & Zack.
What started as a search to find out where your newest sermons were on Sermon Audio, I found this web page and for the past hour or so have been reading about the tragedy’s your family has been enduring for the past weeks. And even in the midst of these trials and what few “cracks in your humanity” that may appear, God is successfully continuing to use you to show your impeccable faith. Thank you for that. It was a desperate search for the newest sermons because I have listened to most all of the past years worth and greatly anticipate the upcoming ones. I am facing what seems to be a ‘small’ season of change in my life compared to yours and your families. but a disturbing and faith testing one just the same. I am quiet thankful that I have found this site and can actually watch/listen to your messages from your beautiful church now. I am from a small town in West Tennessee and by searching sermon topics on Sermon Audio and through prayer, God has made your messages a very important part of my life and I am sharing the links with others. I have asked my husband to take me to hear you in person one day if we are near your city but for now I am delighted to know I have this site to go to. May God continue to use you, heal you, sustain you, encourage you, speak through you, minister to you and give you peace. I pray for peace, blessings, healing and strength for your wife and your family through the loss of this precious mother and grandmother and wife also. May you all feel His ever present love!!
Jeff, as David commented so perfectly on you yesterday “you certainly have a way with words”. God speaks through you in such a way a believers spirit is quieted, humbled, and bowed ready to here from their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ daily. Thank you for such wisdom given and shared. Grief is often seen as the enemy, but if you let him do what God has sent him to do as you stated, before you know he is gone. Peace and the ability to cope is urshered in through the Holy Spirit’s comfort. You and your families testimony really has blessed my spirit and heart. I pray God will continue to be with all of you. May he continue to comfort, strenthen, and in years to come ursher peace and joy back into your hearts and home. God bless!!
Yes sir. Grief, and other issues/troubles help keep us grounded with a healthier perspective of what our treasures are (or should be). Unfortunately for me, these are lessons that have to be reinforced too frequently as the “concerns” of the day and false treasures creep back into my focus and must be moved aside. Love you and your family