A COMFORTABLE WORD

A COMFORTABLE WORD

Dear Friends,

I am sometimes reticent to email you, so aware of how inundated we all are with endless emails. And yet there are times when I feel compelled to share with you the “comfort with which I have been comforted”; believing that my comfort is never meant just for me. And so, at the risk of adding to your “junk mail” folder, I share this “comfortable word” with you, my friends.

The word actually came way back on Tuesday, Sept. 29 (see how long I have resisted sharing it?). I had been hospitalized the day before for this severe breast infection and was on strong antibiotics and pain meds. By Tuesday my blood pressure had dropped way down and I was quite ill (looking back I think most of my poor state was due to an intolerance of the pain meds). That night I felt so ill that I began to believe that I might die. I felt like my life was ebbing away. I couldn’t imagine that you could feel so “bad” and live. And I was all alone. What I wanted more than anything else was for someone to pray for me. I was desperate to reach the phone and call Andy or my sister to ask for prayer, but I was too ill. I considered calling the nurse to ask if there was anyone in the hospital who could come and pray over me. I was in anguish, and marveled that I was to end my days all alone in a hospital far from home.

And then the word came. Just a whisper in my heart. “There is someone here praying for you, my child. The Holy Spirit!” And all of a sudden I remembered that wonderful truth from Romans 8- “but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.” Never before had that truth seemed so glorious! I was not alone after all! And best of all, the One praying knew exactly what was needed. And with that knowledge I found new courage to pray as well (somehow up to that point I had not been praying). And so, feebly at first, I called out in the darkness to Him who had been there all along. I rebuked the enemy in Jesus’ name; proclaimed to the “unseen watchers” that I belonged to the Father, had been purchased with the blood of Christ, and was sealed with the Holy Spirit. After that came peace. In my mind I saw the “crowd of witnesses” from Hebrews 12 and perceived them cheering me on; giving me the courage to resist the darkness.

And so, that room that had seemed so empty moments before was now “filled” with the presence of God and His beloved. And I now knew that for the child of God dying alone was never, ever possible!

I share this experience with you just in case you ever find yourself in such a place. And I, too, cheer you on to resist the darkness!

Right now, as a result of this illness I have had to have a biopsy of my breast. We will get the results on Monday. There is no longer a place for fear- He is interceding yet for me-and for you!!



Lovingly,

Linda

BRUCATO PRAYER UPDATE October, 2009

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Prov. 13:12



Dear Friends,

Andy and I had been planning, and hoping, to begin traveling this month to our supporting churches in preparation to return to Italy the first week of November. But a week before leaving I developed a severe infection of the breast and ended up in the hospital. I am still on antibiotics and recovering slowly. Needless to say, our trip was canceled and our return to Italy has been postponed-again.

This has been a season of disappointments and loss for our family. Andy has lost the use of his left arm (at least for now), his ability to run, bike, do push-ups and pull-ups, drive the car and a host of other things, as well as his previous ministry. I have lost my mother, my old routine, my past ministry opportunities, my own physical well-being (hopefully only temporarily). Michael has lost his chance at his life’s dream of becoming a Navy SEAL (he is now in the EOD program and doing well). Mark and Ruth are beginning the difficult job of saying goodbye as they prepare to leave for Italy the first of December. There are other losses too painful to even share.

I have been reflecting on how to live with loss, disappointment, “hope deferred”. First of all I believe that we must acknowledge our loss. We must allow ourselves to grieve; to feel the pain. Secondly we must resist the temptation to become indifferent; i.e. not allowing ourselves to care about things or hope for anything so as to protect ourselves from further disappointment and pain. Finally we must fill up the empty spaces. I have this image of a sponge- full of little holes. Sometimes our lives seem full of holes created by loss. It is precisely the holes that make a sponge absorbent and therefore useful. Perhaps loss is the very vehicle that the Lord uses to “fill up our holes” with Himself.

I love the Christian song “Wait and See” by Brandon Heath. Here is the chorus:
There is hope, for me yet, because God won’t forget, all the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see, he’s not finished with me yet, he’s not finished with me yet.

We believe that in spite of our losses He is NOT finished with us yet. We choose to believe that the best years of our lives may be ahead. That our ministry is just beginning. That there is nothing too difficult for Him. That He loves to use the broken and weak things to confound the strong. That He can and will fill our “holes” with His radiant presence and in the end we will be filled to overflowing.

We are still planning on returning to Italy before the end of the year. We have exciting new ideas of how the Lord might use us in this next phase of life. We will be sending out another update to share our hopes and dreams.

Our true Hope is in Christ alone, who never disappoints,

Andy and Linda