Faith helps us persevere through life’s trials

The biggest surprise I encountered while bison hunting the last two weeks was not from the hunt. Surprisingly, it came from a local doctor. Unfortunately, my wife, Kathy, was out of work and quite sick with bronchitis the week before I left for my bison hunt. But she was getting better when I left on Sunday, Oct. 20 and she returned to work Monday, Oct. 21. Thankfully, I had not been stricken with the illness myself when I left.

However, while driving to Delta Junction on Sunday afternoon, I had the beginning of a cough. Then through the week this progressed into a constant cough, into aches when I moved, into a constant headache, fever and night sweats, and into ribs that hurt every time I coughed. Finally, on Thursday I relented and went to the local clinic where I met a Dr. Andreassen. I like this guy!

This interesting Christian man wanted to talk about many topics in addition to my illness. He asked some questions and listened to my chest and breathing, then when he had then further examined me, he said I had contracted what Kathy had suffered: “You’ve got bronchitis.”

Actually, this was not the surprise I experienced.

So I asked him, “Now what? I’m up here for my bison hunt. My drawing started last Saturday. What does this mean for my hunt?”

I expected the doctor to tell me to stop hunting, to stay indoors and take care of myself. But this doctor gave me the biggest surprise of the week. Dr. Andreassen told me, “You can cough at home or you can cough in the field. You’ve got the medicine. I’d say keep hunting!”

What a surprise. I didn’t expect that.

So I did what the doctor ordered. I took my medicine, drank and ate as he told me, took the vitamins he prescribed and continued to hunt. I gradually got better, though I did have a slight relapse on Sunday. When I went to the doctor I felt badly enough that part of me was actually hoping to be told to stop hunting. Nevertheless, I persevered.

Much of our lives as Christians is a practice in perseverance. Living as Jesus’ disciples in faith and love and obedience is not easy. We face opposition and temptations. We sin and we fail. But God calls us to continue trusting his love and forgiveness and to continue living our faith in him and his love for all.

Actually, while we are often surprised by life’s challenges, we should not be. As Christians, as people of Christ who follow him, we follow the son of God who endured temptations and suffering and death in order to save us. We should not be surprised that we are called to persevere through suffering as well. The writer to the Hebrews calls Christians to perseverance in these words.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

When life hurts, we can persevere. We can keep going through the difficulty and pain, because we know that Jesus not only suffered and died for us, he rose for us. In spite of life’s trials, Jesus’ victory over sin and death is ours by his grace through faith. So yes, life can be difficult and painful, but we can keep going, because through our pain and failure God is faithful. He has eternal life waiting for us.

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer.

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