Reaction to a Hard Life

When you hear all of the things that 85 year old Mrs. Nathan has been through, you will probably feel sorry for her. One tragedy after another has plagued her life, starting thirty years ago, when she was burned on over 80% of her body by a grease fire that exploded in her kitchen. It almost completely destroyed her hands, actually fusing the fingers together. Because of the acute burning, Mrs. Nathan has had over 53 surgeries to try to correct the damage to her body. That alone would make most people want to give up on life; however this fighting lady has also suffered three strokes and three heart attacks which led to her having a pacemaker implanted to regulate her heart. She has a spot on her liver that they have not been able to determine what it is. Oh and by the way, I think I forgot to mention that she also lost an eye and will be undergoing hip surgery in the near future. If that is not enough, she has lived for the last 22 years in a 500 square foot government assisted housing complex.

You might be thinking that this lady could be angry and bitter and down on life, but you would be wrong. Mrs. Nathan loves life and is an accomplished painter. She sees the beauty around her and is a delightful lady. In fact, she never has anything negative to say and is always telling everyone that the Lord has blessed her. Wow!

I want to be more like Mrs. Nathan. She is an inspiration, because if I had been through half as much as she has been through, I’m not sure if I could be as joyful and as positive as she, but I can strive to see the world through her eyes, instead of focusing on the things that may have gone wrong in my life. I will choose to look at the wonderful things God has done for me in everyday life as well as the good that He had brought out of what seems to be tragedy. Thank you Mrs. Nathan for being an example to me, a Christ-like example of how we should live our lives. 

1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

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