Chapters 18, 19, 20Thank you for sticking with us. Let’s finish our book club well—OK. We’re getting to some tough pages—and many have already been very hard to comprehend. I wonder if you will find these three chapters difficult to read. I sure did. They contain accounts of hunger, sickness, despair and worse. As you read, please pay particular attention to the emotional challenges Martin and Gracia experience. What causes them? Where do they come from? What do Martin and Gracia do to fight them?
I’d like to ask you to share about how you cope with emotional challenges. Are there spiritual practices you find helpful?
How do you respond to Martin’s death and Gracia’s rescue? I really can’t imagine living this part of Gracia’s story.
We’ll finish our book next week—Thank you so much for participating. This book challenges my thinking in several ways. I’m glad I’ve been able to process it with you!
1 comment:
I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words today about this story. I knew it was coming but it still seemed a shock when Martin just slowly slipped into death on the side of that hill. I'm glad that Gracia was aware enough to insist on them getting her bag for her children and for herself. It is hard to imagine that fast transition from the jungle, captivity and starvation to the modern world. To catch her breath and realize it was real and yet to also know that Martin was not there.
Emotional challenges abound in these chapters. They were told they were ransomed and thought they would be released, but then they weren't. They were starving and then got food and then went back to not having it. Depression stalked them and yet they seemed to help hold each other up when one got worse. They reminded each other of God's faithfulness even in the midst of horrible circumstances. God is faithful and it does help to recount that when we are emotionally and spiritually challenged.
God is good even in the midst of horrible, evil things. Remembering his faithfulness is one way to remind ourselves that he will be faithful even in this. Singing songs of praise is another way that helps me get through these types of challenges. Reading and saying aloud Scriptures that encourage worship and praise even when I might not be feeling like worshiping and praising. Also, having a way to communicate with God - in prayer, in a journal - really thinking about what I am saying is helpful. Listening to others worship God when all I can do is hold to the truths and weep is also soul restoring - to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is good, merciful and that he showers us with grace even when the things that happen are so horrible and hard to comprehend. These are some of the ways that I face emotional and spiritual challenges.
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