Sam is a thirty three year old man who has come to a crossroad in his life. He was injured in a construction accident two and a half years ago and lost the use of both his legs. Today he sits in his wheelchair beside the busiest intersection in town with a decision. Should he end his pain and suffering by rolling out into traffic or continue home, back into misery.
In the past, he was a positive Christian man of faith, but these last years have taken a severe toll on him. Not only his body, but also on his mind. He almost called the veterans suicide hotline for help, but he would muster his faith and thoughts of suicide left him. Nevertheless he was tortured inside his suffer ring. He called it his suffer ring because it was a circle, a cycle of pain. The physical pain was oppressive, but added to that was the mental pain. Why? Why me? Why Lord?
Just then he placed his hands on the wheels to roll himself into traffic to end it all when a stranger, a young lady, took hold of the wheelchair handles. Holding firm she said, “Excuse me sir. May I assist you by pushing you safely across the street?” Sam bowed his head and wept. He said, “Yes lady. I surely would.”
As they waited for the light to change, his thoughts went to the Bible and the account of Jesus and His suffering before and during His crucifixion. He remembered how Jesus wept because His own people, those He had come to die for, had rejected Him. The mental pain and anguish that Jesus suffered in the Garden as He asked God to take this cup from Him… if possible. (Matthew 26:38-39) Sam finally understood how Jesus was in a suffer ring encompassing Him physically and mentally.
The light changed and they made it safely across the street. As the wheelchair bumped over the curb to safety, Sam thanked the lady as she walked around to the front to face him. She said,”Hello, my name is Samantha.” She then reached out her prosthetic hand to shake his hand. She was a twenty nine year old war veteran with a prosthetic hand and left leg. He chuckled and told her that his name was Sam. She said, “Well Sam, would you like to go inside this coffee shop and get a cup?”
“Yes. Yes Samantha I would.” And with that, God began to ease his suffer ring.
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