Ladies, I have a friend of 30+ years who has had one of the most terrible years. About 4 months ago, he beloved daddy died of cancer. Within one month, her mom past. She too had a form of cancer. My friend missed a great deal of work because as the only daughter, her mom and dad relied on her heavily to take them to treatments, stay with them for extended stays in the hospital, and sit with them as they laid dying.

A few weeks ago, a 80-year old man ran a light and hit my friend's car and she was hurt badly. She had surgery for a torn roto cup (which already had damage but after the wreck, sever damage) and was in bed for two weeks. Yesterday, she was getting out of bed and her foot caught in the sheets. She tumbled out and hit the floor breaking her right wrist in three different places. She's having surgery on THAT today.

As we talked last night she was so full of sorrow. She hasn't even had time to grieve for the loss of her parents. Her company is not helping any, although I do understand their position as she is a Director there and very visible and needed...but how can she help it? She can't. So she may lose her job and even if she doesn't, the strain is there and she will worry herself sick. She is 62 and doesn't feel like she can retire.

I'm telling you all of this to ask for prayers for understanding and peace. She is trying so hard to make sense of all of the tragedies, the sorrow, and the pain but her faith is slipping away. I hurt for her tremendously. I would ask that you please pray for my friend and ask God to massage her heart. I can't say that if I were her I would have lasted as long as SHE has. What burdens she has had to bear!

Thank you kindly

Thank you my dear friend...that was the advice I wanted to give her as well...maybe later. Right now she's so full of anxiety and grief that just listening and telling her how much I care is about all I put forth to her. She isn't ready for anything else. But you are so right. Where the heck is their compassion, I want to know. It isn't like she's laying out, you know?

Anyway, I appreciate your support for her.

JJ, my heart and prayers are with your friend. It's no wonder she feels so, well, abandoned might be one possible feeling. Not only has she lost her Dad and Mom (and her workplace network too!), but grief - and pain - have a way of convincing us that even God may have abandoned or forgotten us. I'll keep her in my prayers, as I have a good idea of the myriad of feelings, sorrow and sad confusion she might be experiencing right now. Your loving, listening presence is critical to her right now, someone she can lean against while her own faith/strength are lost in the quagmire of grief and pain.

My prayers are with her JJ, but she is lucky in one respect, she has you as her friend.

I have added her to my prayers. HUGS!!

Thank you all for the prayers, and also for the support and encouraging words. We've stood beside one another for over 30 years and we will continue, I'm sure of that. She is one of the nicest people I know on God's earth.

JJ, I am holding her close in my heart even as I write this note. As Chatty said, she is lucky she has you in her life. I wish her, and you, strength and courage going forward.

I'm calling her in a bit after I think she's had time to be up, hopefully, and settled in for the day. I'll let you know how the latest surgery went for her. God love her...I know HE does.

Thank you ladies.

Adding heartfelt thoughts and please tell her she has touched many people through you who wish her well.

I read this the other day and thought I commneted. I've been thinking about and offering up prayers for her, and you!

Ladies, just got off the phone a bit with my dear friend. The wrist surgery was delayed until this afternoon. They'll be putting a plate and several pins in her wrist because of the solid breaks, and so forth, and so on. I'll spare you the gory details.

She was actually in better spirits but still wondering why God trusted her so much to bear all of these burdens. I said, "Honey, maybe God is asking you to slow your life down and just FEEL."

We chatted for about 30 minutes and she promised to call tomorrow after she's home and rested a bit. She can do anything for herself because one arm is in some sort of contraption for the rotor cup surgery and the other is her broken wrist which will probably get a cast today...or something similar.

Can you imagine? Thanks for keeping her in your prayers. I told her that many women she didn't know cared...and that they were inspired by her gumption, her spirit, and her soul. She was comforted by this.

THANK YOU!

I pray for your friend to live each day quietly and easily in order that she may face tomorrow with confidence and courage, JJ. I pray for you as well so that everytime you meet your friend at this most difficult time, she finds strength in your joy, peace and patience.

Thank you Lola...that is so kind of you. When I read all of the responses here I feel a calm come over me. I should print them all out and take them to HER!

JJ, is it at all possible for your friend to take a time out, for 6 months,…maybe a year?
The poor thing really needs to gather herself up, and recover from all the blows thrown her way.



Yes…this is what I was thinking. Maybe her company will give her a leave of absence. She could try, if they say no,…then she knows where she’s at, and take it from there.

Sending positive thoughts. And what a wonderful good friend you are, JJ. You get a hug too!

I wish she could, but the position she holds as Director if a single one. The entire fate of the company is somewhat in her hands as she is the one who brings in the biz. Kind of a "one-man" show. Now she can't use either of her hands to type or write, and there is no one to fill her shoes. To me, this is the company's fault for having this kind of structure in place. Cross-training is a must in a small company. But at any rate, she said yesterday that they "may" work with her to try and get through this.

I know one thing...if they didn't, I would be saying, "Hello, meet Mr. Lawyer."

JJ, the man at fault for the accident - did he have insurance? Is it possible for her to collect from them for the surgery, lost time at work, and other injuries (pain and suffering)? Then maybe she can take some time to heal, grieve, and just get herself together.

JJ, My prayers go out to your friend. God promises he wont give us more than we can handle. She has been thru so much. I hope God has very special blessings ahead for her. You are a wonderful friend.

JJ, I hope the company has learned a lesson from this. It sounds like she is such a huge asset to them, that they would desire to find a way to work this out. It's her brain, not her hand, they need, right? Couldn't they hire an assistant to do the hands on stuff?

My heart is still with her, and hope she finds a way to find peace and rest.

I have offered to go in with her when she is able and do her work with her dictating to me what to do. I have offered my services FREE OF CHARGE. She seems to think she can get it all worked out. If not, the offer stands. I would be happy to do that for her.

I haven't heard from her today, but I'm hoping I will soon so I'll know how the surgery went.

And you're right...it is her brains. Thank goodness cause I don't have any to give her. Thanks again ladies for all of the thoughts and prayers!

Sorry..I never answered this. The man that hit her had the SAME insurance company as her. What are the odds? So of course, they wanted to fix her car, pay her medical bills, but that's about it.

Remember my friend from the posts above?

Well, two days ago her hubby had a heart attack. Yep...sure did. As it turns out though, it was a mild one and he is much better. But she is at her ropes end. I'm out of words. The "your faith will sustain you" sounds so empty now.

Help?

Ouch! What can you say??? The fact that he had a mild heart attack could be a blessing-in-disguise...I've heard so many stories of the mild heart attacks being warnings, and led to these people changing their lifestyles and living much longer than if the milder one hadn't happened. I have two dear friends who had mild heart attacks many years ago and are convinced that they would be dead by now if the attacks hadn't happened when they did.

Not that that's much comfort to your friend right now.

You don't need to say anything to your friend, JJ. Just continue what you are doing now, which is making yourself available to her. The ordeals in the recent past can be very wearing to one's faith so, in the meantime, ours will sustain her. I have always believed that spiritual storm jars are much like the temporal ones. If our neighbour's stock of matches have been used up then, we draw to share from ours in order that she could light her candles. So, we continue to pray and have faith that all will be well for your friend and her husband.

Lola, love it.

There are times when we can't find words to pray, and that's why we have the community of believers to hold her up now.

How about taking her out to lunch for a little break?

I'm thinking I'll take supper to them, even though they live in another town. Her hubby was her helper, now he's sick too. God love them both. So a big pot of potato soup would do it for them, with one of my Pathology Pies, I'm thinking. She can't leave to go to lunch because Hubby would need her to be there....so if you can't get Mohammad to the mountain, you go to Mohammad. Yes?

Yeeeeeees. You're one heck of a gal and a friend, JJ. James Taylor must have had you in mind with his song.

My heart aches for your friend. I'll keep her in my prayers. What the latest? Bless you for all you're doing for her!

JJ: How is your long term friend coming along? I feel badly that she has had such a run of tragedy in her life, which can certainly take its toll.

Does she have access to a grief support group online or off?
(I know it helped me when I lost most members of my family in a series of tragic events.)

Please know that I will keep your friend and you in my prayers. It's so good you are there for her in her time of need.

I'll pray, as well. My best friend has lost her faith and that's so difficult to witness.

I don't see every thread, all the time. I missed this.
And I understand how hard it is to watch such a thing happen to a loved one. I'll surely pray!

We all know people who endure way too much heartache. I don't understand that and question why some among us must suffer
more than their share. And generally they're the nicest folks
in the world!

Its just that sort of happening Josie and Jabber, that causes some people to lose what faith they had. That however is the time they need their faith the most.

That's true. I pray nearly nonstop! Yesterday I visited my friend and she said recite some scripture to me. So I did.
My friend has a habit of reciting verses from A-Z; so we did that. Then I said the 23rd Psalm over and over. It's only her
faith and the faith she helped instill in me that keeps us going!

Sounds like a good friend to have Jabber. We all could use a friend like her.

Yes. When this lady was well, she'd do anything for anybody.
She fixed and delivered meals to those who were ill. She reconciled a half dozen women, suffering from depression, back to their Lord. I know of one lady, this lady visited three times
a day for 2 1/2 years, until that person was well able to stand
alone! This is why it's so heartbreaking to see her physically and emotionally destroyed. I pray God restores ARP's body, soul, and spirit! Please join me in that prayer!!!!

Here's a thought worth considering: "Faith comes alive, when you acknowledge everything good!"

Joel Osteen's Sunday morning sermon was built around preceding
statement. My focus needs to be centered on what's good with
the world; guess that's my New Year's resolution for 2010!