In the Midst of Despair, Hope Comes

In the Midst of Despair, Hope Comes

In my chaplain ministry, everyday I have talked to people who have been using drugs, cocaine, heroin, marijuana; they have abused alcohol, illegal or controlled substance; either trying to get high or to run away from the problems. In the end, their lives are messed up. They sought help, joined AA group, and indeed got some help but not total deliverance. Something is still in them, controlling them, getting them to go back to do the same thing again. Their habits draw them back; more than that there are unclean spirits that defiled their bodies, troubled their souls, tormented their mind with voices, noises and also made them feel guilty, shame and unworthy; for them whether it’s pleasure seeking or pain-numbing, it is destroying the mind, soul, body and spirit. God seems so far out of reach to some of them. Some have felt like God is punishing them with these sickness and diseases. God is not the author of sickness or diseases. He wants to heal them and set them free.

Other people who have struggled with mental anguish, emotional turmoil, unending pain, are depressed; depression turned to despair when life problems overcame them with unpaid bills, with sickness and diseases, with lay-offs, loved ones in jail, failed marriage, separation and divorce. All these troubles are piling up or coming to them at the same time. When the people are unable to cope or deal with their pains and suffering tried to hurt or kill themselves with drug overdose, it is a matter of life and death; a small window is sometimes not enough to save some of them in time. It’s devastating for families to deal with suicide and death unexpected. Fear of death seems rampant.

Many have come from families of abused victims now becoming the abusers. Children and teenagers now becoming adults have experienced abuses in many physical, emotional, financial, mental, sexual, and spiritual forms. It’s like they are being oppressed by the devil, Satan, and they could not get out of the grip of the evil spirits harassing them, causing so much pain, havoc and destruction in their lives. If something dirty sticks onto you, it’s easy to remove it from the outside. I just can’t imagine the voices, the noisy constantly coming to you, threatening, telling you to hurt yourself or kill and destroy your life or others’. How painful that is! Drugs help easy the pain, lessen the noises, and make the voice temporarily go away. But deliverance is still needed to set the captive free.

It is so sad to hear young children being abused, neglected, molested, and raped by their father, step-father, uncle, cousins; no one really believes them when they broke the news to the parents or to the one they had trusted. Trust is broken; sacred life is being violated causing so much pain and anger and resentment; in severe cases hatred built up. They run away from home, finding love and attention in all the wrong places; they get married to get away from the broken homes. Some joined a church but found no help there. But God is still waiting to deliver the person. Help is on the way.

Others turned out to become prostitutes selling themselves for food, for attention; looking for love in all the wrong places. Others hurt themselves physically by cutting their throat, slashing their wrists or hands causing deformity to the physical bodies. The violence, the abuse and the suffering continue on. How they long to trade the emotional, mental anguish with the physical pain. How they long for the abuse and suffering to stop. A few don’t really care much about life or themselves any more. God is ready to trade all their pain, sorrow, sadness, misery and suffering for His total healing, freedom, peace, joy, eternal life and life abundantly. He’s done that through Calvary, on the cross the Son of God bled and died. By His stripes you are healed. He is ready to forgive you no matter how deep your sin is or how far away you are from Him; he is willing to restore you, to bring you back home, your Heavenly home.

Crap, stuff have been thrown at them; they are thrown from one house or shelter to the next; families seem to disown them, not welcoming them back; for some when the bodies can’t take it any more, these abuses suddenly shut down the system causing them to collapse. Some ended up in ER; other in mental institutions seeking help.

Being in the hospital for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. The doctors will do their parts diagnosing, looking at the symptoms, testing the blood, providing the prognosis and treating them the best they can with their medical knowledge, advance training and new science.

The nurses with their caring hands have administered prescribed medicine from the doctors, and have done their best to help them recovered. Tender loving care is offered at the point of exhaustion sometimes when there are more patients for a nurse to handle.

The CNA, PCA have assisted patients with their daily needs. Listening ear is so much needed. A warm touch, a kind look with understanding and empathy are sometimes wonderful remedies to the sick soul.

The environmental services crews, who tirelessly mop the floor, clean the rooms daily, and also making sure everything is ready for the next patient to come.

The social workers and the case manager deal with the benefits and arrangements for patients’ needs. Other disciplines play important roles as well: from the pharmacy to the lab to billing, ordering, shipping, kitchen staff and more.

The chaplain addresses the spiritual and pastoral needs of the patients, offering them the healing presence, a listening ear; journeying with the patients sometimes in silence, in spoken and unspoken prayers.

There are times when I feel the needs are so great. There are so many patients to care for. Then I remember my God is bigger than my circumstances; I am empowered by His word and to know that He who is in me is greater than the one who is outside gives me strength. Reading His Word daily help me to nurture my relationship with God; He helps me carry on the work. I am encouraged to know that Jesus has come to destroy the works of the devil.

I have found above all, despite life’s circumstances and all of life’s troubles and turmoil, God is the ultimate source of life sustaining us with His presence. Jesus of Nazareth is the Healer. His will is to heal all sickness and diseases and to restore broken lives. He is the Answer they have all longed for. He is the Savior and Deliverer. He has come to set the captive free; he has come to deliver them out of the pit of despair and hopelessness; He has come to give them strength. He heals them and makes them whole again when they reach out to Him in faith trusting Him completely. He is ready to heal you today. Are you willing and ready to come to Him for the help you desperately need? By His stripes you are healed.

Christmas is God’s gift of love to humankind. It’s again reminding us that God is here with us, Emmanuel. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He will be with us till the end of the earth. He is standing at the door of our hearts and knocks and waits for us to invite Him in to dine. Whoever you are, wherever you are in your stage in life, you can come to Jesus any time and invite Him to be your Savior. You can ask Him to deliver you. He is more than ready to deliver you and to lift you up and to make you whole again. Let’s open our hearts and invite Christ Jesus to come in today.

Pastor Linh Nguyen