Faith, Hope, and Love�and the greatest of these is love
By Shawn
Faith, hope, love . . . very powerful words that reflect our relationship as believers with an Almighty God; yet, to someone recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, these concepts can seem almost foreign. Believe me, I know from personal experience. Back in 1992, my life was on an upward climb; newly married, my wife and I were expecting our first child in October. We were both earning good money, and had started attending a local church. Finally, life was starting to make sense, and we felt we could handle just about anything that came our way. Then I heard the words that would change my life forever and drive me to my knees�literally. I was HIV Positive, and my perfect little world came crashing down around me with a thud.
Confusion flooded my soul, and I sank into deep despair. How could God allow this to happen when I was trusting Him with my life? I thought He loved me, boy was I wrong. Surely we would face rejection from our family members, discrimination at our jobs, and we might even be turned away from our own church, like so many others with the virus. As I looked into the future, all I could see was darkness, and the light at the end of the tunnel was a train�headed straight for us. I was terrified. Little did I know that God was working miracles for us, even before I asked Him for one.
First, my wife and son are both negative�affected by the virus rather than infected. Since I was unable to work and on disability, I was able to stay home with our son the first four years, precious moments that can never be repeated. Both our families have been wonderful�very supportive and caring. Our church has gone out of its way to help us feel loved and accepted, even drafting a non-discrimination policy to protect us and others with the AIDS virus. For the past two years, I have been heading up our Benevolence Ministry, assisting people with financial and spiritual needs. My job is to encourage them and give them hope that God cares for them, even in the midst of their struggles and trials. What a blessing to give back the love and compassion we�ve received from others�a full circle! My wife now works for Hospice, dealing with patients who are terminal, including many who are HIV Positive or who have full-blown AIDS. Recently, I was asked by our pastors to consider going to college and becoming ordained as a fulltime minister. My life now, however long it is, has meaning and purpose, and for that I am very grateful.
I believe that God can do anything. In His mighty power, He could reach down and heal me, but that would only be a temporary solution to the problem. We as human beings are all terminal with a disease called "sin," and our time on earth is limited. God has a much higher purpose in mind�the healing and rebirth of our souls, so we can live forever with Him. The Bible says that "God is love," and that our faith and hope should be in Him alone. He has promised to "never leave us or forsake us," if we trust Him. As a result, He will give us that rich, abundant life that we all seek. I, for one, intend to make every moment count�for Him.
Also check these sites:
Unofficial site of Gulf Coast Community Care
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