Deborah Klassen
Presented by Southern Ministry Agency

I have survived many things in my life; abuse, rejection, tremendous fear, clinical depression resulting in a 6 week psychiatric hospitalization, financial loss and the disappointment of torn relationships and faded dreams.

I never imagined, however, that I would have to live through my young son’s debilitating facial cancer, my husband’s brokenness from kidney cancer and then, turn around and face the shattering of that same son’s life-changing, near fatal, catastrophic car accident.

If you had asked me at the start of each phase of my journey if I was going to make it through, I would have said “No”, but standing on this side,the other side, I can tell you without a doubt that I did make it,

I continue to make it and you can too. I have learned to hang on when I felt I couldn’t catch my breath, to put one foot in front of the other and to choose to believe with all my being that God gives me strength because of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it is just enough strength for the moment, but each moment adds up to make another day; another day of overcoming; another day of choosing to really live.

I have learned that the Bible is my lifeline. It gives me words to heal, comfort, encourage, teach and counsel me. It gives words of courage, honesty, peace and strength. It teaches me to find the dignity in the suffering.

I have learned that suffering leads me to the heart of God, where I can gasp out the pain. There, I have learned and continue to learn, that my heart, mind and emotions are safe with Him. It propels me to find out who He is.

There He gives me endurance. There He reminds me that this life is not all there is. THERE IS HEAVEN!

There, in His Heart, at His feet, I remind Him, that He promised to take the unknown, the circumstances beyond understanding and the ugly scars and make good out of them.

There, He reminds me, that I need to go and comfort others with the same comfort I have received. The suffering has affected me in deep and profound ways. I continue to learn to live, with acceptance and joy, in the mystery of God and of life. And, when I least expect it, like on one spectacular evening, Almighty God, Yahweh, catches me by surprise and shows Himself to me again. I was looking out the opening of an outside door at 4:00 am because I couldn’t sleep and needed some air. As I looked out, what I saw caused me to take a step back in wonder and at the same time to move forward as if to try to capture and touch what was beyond my grasp.

The constellations seemed brighter than normal, the stars more numerous and the Milky Way more stunning than I could remember seeing with the naked eye. They twinkled!! Oh how they twinkled, like elegant strobe lights set against a dark background in a majestic, grand ballroom.

Once again, God said to me, “I am huge. I am here and there is more. Keep going. Choose life.” I stood in awe, drinking it in, gaining perspective, reminding myself and telling Him how truly great He is.