In The Furnace of Affliction
From Grace & Truth Magazine
June 2006 Vol. 73 No. 6
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” Isaiah 48: 10 NKJV
In the furnace of affliction
It is God who tests the ore.
Gentle is the hand that leads us
Till we reach the other shore.
In the furnace God does train us
Knowing we can stand the test.
Burns and dross and all that hinders
Gives to us His very best.
In the furnace does it please Him
Seeing us in constant pain?
Nay, through sorrow God is planning
Not our ill, but heavenly gain.
Author Unknown
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7
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The Golden Dog (Written for school by an anonymous 8th grade girl)
Sammy is a male golden retriever. He is one and a half years old. He has very long reddish-golden hair. He has brown eyes and looks like me!
I take im out to go to the bathroom, feed him, give him water, and play with him outside with his tennis ball, basketball, and soccer ball. He also loves to wrestle.
I love him and treat him as a member of the family because he is so important to me. He cheers me up when I am feeling sad. He always greets me with a wagging tail.
People think he has good manners and is very well behaved for his young age. People also think he is cute.
One time, when he was a little puppy, he got so excited to see someone that he started to pee all over the place. Being a boy it went everywhere.
Having a pet takes lots of responsibility.
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Eternal Life (Written by one of my uncles for my Christian Grandmother’s funeral)
Dear Family and Friends,
Some people strive to build a legacy that is based on their great accomplishments; others leave behind a legacy of great character for those who follow in their footsteps. By the standards of world, Mom did not accomplish great things that will be recorded and remembered in history, but in the eyes of God and those who knew her she left us an example to follow.
Each of us may remember Mom for different facets of her character, but I praise God for her rich generosity, unequaled compassion, matchless love, abiding loyalty, unparalleled endurance, and unbreakable faith in God. In my eyes, these last two years have refined and demonstrated the enduring quality of Mom’s character as she faced the biggest challenge of her life, living with cancer and facing death with dignity and grace.
I have marveled at the legacy she has left behind for her family and friends. I can only hope that when life’s most difficult trials put me to the ultimate test, that my character will be strong and shine as brightly as Mom’s.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Mom’s support network. Her family, friends, and fellow Christians have been a constant source of encouragement, comfort and help during Mom’s lengthy battle with cancer. Your prayers, cards, telephone calls, flowers, visits and presence was a constant reminder that God promised to never leave or forsake us. As we think of you, we thank God that His love was embodied in all you said and did for out family.
On behalf of Mom and my family, I would also like to express my appreciation to Dr. Kushner and the staff of the University Hospital of Madison; Dr Yee and the staff of Hillside Hospice in Beaver Dam. If cancer could be conquered by human compassion, strenuous effort and medical science, Mom’s cancer wouldn’t have stood a chance. While your efforts did not ultimately win the war, they did give Mom’s family and many friends precious months to spend with her. That is a gift we treasure. God blessed us through your care.
Some cures must wait for the glory of heaven. As I watched cancer take its toll on Mom’s body, I tried to keep in mind what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4. “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” The Bible says, “Therefore, we do not lose heart.”
I found this bookmark in one of Mom’s books. It proclaims boldly:
What Cancer Cannot Take From You.
It cannot take away your faith, Shatter your Hope, or lessen your Love.
It cannot destroy true Friendship, Invade the Soul, or take away Eternal Life.
It cannot conquer the Spirit of God.
( Unsure of Author of Poem–If Author, Let Me Know)
The Bible encourages all of us to run the race marked out for us with perseverance. Mom ran the raced marked out for her and that race included an uphill battle with cancer. On her 70th birthday, May 31st, Mom crossed the finish line and was embraced in the loving arms of Jesus, the author and perfecter of her faith. I am confident that Mom has received her victor’s crown, and has left us a legacy to imitate. She will certainly be missed, but will never be forgotten by those who knew and loved her.