Navigating Life's Breaking Points
We all reach a breaking point, that moment when we say, “Enough is enough. I can't bear this anymore.” It is the instant of complete helplessness, the urge to give up and tell God, “I can't go on with this journey anymore.” My breaking point comes when I develop a pressure sore, a common issue for individuals with spinal cord injuries from prolonged wheelchair use that restricts blood flow. A decade in the past, I encountered a severe pressure sore that resulted in bed rest, confining me to bed for nearly twenty hours daily for a challenging four months. Proper relief from body pressure is vital for healing such sores. While doing the bed care, limited mobility below my shoulders made even simple tasks like having meal, reading, washing, or using a smart phone incredibly difficult. It undeniably marked one of the toughest periods of my life.
Despite my efforts to avoid the confinement ever since, three weeks ago, I found myself at Craig Hospital’s skin clinic, where nurses informed me that I required more bed rest. Even tilting my wheelchair every 10 minutes for 5 minutes over the past two months failed to heal the sore, leaving bed rest as the only solution. This marked my breaking point. Anger, frustration, disappointment, and fear clouded my thoughts, rendering me defenseless: ‘Not again! Why is this happening? Have I done something wrong lately? What is God’s good plan? Or, is there one? I am so tired of doing this again.’ I withdrew into silence, unable to pray, communicate with loved ones, or confront the situation. As before, I desired a supernatural intervention, not a natural way of healing the sore….But I was not a stranger to suffering nor to the LORD God almighty who works through all things.
Some individuals hold the belief that natural events result from human actions or scientific experiments, rather than attributing them to divine intervention. We make a distinction between supernatural and natural events. Supernatural events mean that certain incidents occur miraculously beyond the power and understanding of human beings such as raising the dead or splitting the Red Sea. In my case, healing the pleasure sore over a night or days could be considered as a supernatural event. Natural events mean that certain incidents occur naturally without violating the law of nature within the power and understanding of human beings such as treating diseases with medical treatment. In my case, healing pressure sore through the bed care over weeks or months.
I acknowledge that bed care is the outcome of many trials of medical experiments. However, does that mean God was not involved with the process of finding the impact of bed care? Was it beyond of the knowledge of God and his all-knowing wisdom? Did human beings invent something that God missed? Absolutely not! God does not only use the natural events and the gradual process of the development of human history and invention to accomplish his plans, but he is also the One that inspires wisdom and creativity to human beings to develop the natural event or method of healing the sore. That means, I can trust the method of the bed care as God’s inspired wisdom and thank him for his involvement with the method of healing.
Surely, it could take some time for a complete healing, but what is more important than resolving the breaking point is to remember that our relationship with God is personal journey. When we encounter challenges, our focus often shifts solely to solving our problems, shaping our every action towards that goal. Our prayers center on our needs, our scripture reading revolves around seeking solutions, and our obedience can feel like a transaction with God, as if we can save up obedience it could move God to do us favors. At times, our approach becomes demanding and transactional, treating God as a stranger we won’t see again after our request is fulfilled. Or, consider a friend or church member who only reaches out when they need something from you. How did you feel about them? Life is all about our relationship with God, whereas problem is part of our life.
We can choose between letting one aspect of life dictate our emotion, faith, and relationship with God or surrendering to God’s presence during challenging times. By choosing the latter, we open ourselves to God as depicted in Scripture, enabling us to embrace his words and promises in our lives. Surrender to God’s presence in your breaking point, as it is designed to soften our hearts and spirits, allowing God to create something even more beautiful.
What kind of breaking points are you facing lately? How do you cope with them and find meaning in them? Remember, sometimes things must break to pave the way for new beginnings and reveal your value to yourself and others. Reflect on the story of the woman who broke the alabaster jar in Mark 14:3. Despite sacrificing her entire savings by breaking the jar, it was through this act that her faith was demonstrated to others and acknowledged by Jesus.
What is God creating though my pressure sore? I do not know it yet. It could be patience, perseverance, mercy, or others, but I will surely share the story with you. In the meantime, I sincerely ask for your prayers.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Is. 43:19).