BrainOut!
The mumblings of a Christian autistic husband, dad, IT guy and amateur radio operator - Will Brokenbourgh / AF7EC
God is Bigger
It is my sincere hope that you personally don't have to endure a life-threatening illness
to know how big, how powerful and how awesome our God is! 
I don't know how much time I have left here on earth (who actually knows, really?) but I will continue to hold out hope that I will receive a healing. As the sign in our restroom says "God is able". He's so much more than 'able' -- he created everything and everyone, he's the ultimate healer, creator and protector!
Through the storm, not around it
When I was younger, I mistakenly thought that being closer to God meant that I would avoid problems,
side-step pain and everything would just work out great here on earth. That's not how it works.
Being closer to God means he's with you, right along-side you as go through hard times, not
around them. Sure, sometimes God keeps horrific things from happening to you and your loved ones, but
as long as we live on this earth, there will always be struggles, always be pain and sadness. That's
what sets earth apart from Heaven.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
I'm sure those who have even a slight familiarity with Bible stories will remember the story of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If you haven't heard the story, here's the quick version:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego served a king who had a giant gold statue crafted. The king demanded that everyone bow down and worship the statue, and if someone didn't, they'd be thrown into a blazing-hot furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego loved and served God, and they were not about to bow down to some man-made god. When someone told the king about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego not bowing down to the statue, the king became very angry, called them in and gave them one last chance to change their mind. They refused, so the king became enraged, had his soldiers make the furnace seven times hotter than usual, tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and had them thrown into the raging flames.
And what happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego inside that raging inferno? They were seen unharmed, untied and walking around inside the fire along with a fourth person who looked like "a god". Even though they served and loved God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't avoid being thrown into the insanely hot furnace, instead God walked beside them, helping them get through the incredible adversity intact. What an encouraging picture of what God does for those who love him!
So many believers in Jesus Christ are going through tough times too. Many are going through the 'fires' of adversity just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did -- I am one of them right now. The difference between a Believer and someone who doesn't know or serve God is that the Believer will go through the tough times knowing God is there, who will bring encouragement and strength, while unbelievers will go through stuff with little hope and try to depend on themselves or other people. Yes, other people can help in hard times, but they cannot offer the incredible love and strength that only God can give!
What's the point of being a Christian, then?
Why believe in God and give your heart to Jesus if you're just going to go through hard times anyway?
Anyone, Christian or not will go through hard times, so why bother? Giving your heart to Jesus and
serving God is the right thing to do, hardships or not. Many people still have a hard time
believing that God created everything and that they were given life by God himself. It's hard for
folks to become vulnerable enough to freely give their hearts, and lives, to someone they can't even
see. I get it. It's not an easy thing to do... but again, it's the right thing to do.
Having God's Holy Spirit within you helps you become a better person, someone who first tries to
please God, and in the process learns how to love and treat other people better. It can be a slow
process, but it's way better than not knowing or trusting the living God.
There are benefits to being a Christian, but you shouldn't choose to be a Christian just for the benefits. The benefits are a byproduct of a close and intimate relationship with God, not the goal of being a Christian. You can't breathe hydrogen peroxide or manganese dioxide on their own, but when they are combined, they give off oxygen -- something everyone needs for successfuly breathing. Similarly, we, on our own, can't successfully get through life's challenges and hardships without being found in God. Sure, some folks can 'power through' challenges, but who will guard their hearts, who will give powerful and life-sustaining encouragement and strength during the depths of their trials? Only God can truly do that!
I just need to keep relying on God
Trust me, having a life-threatening illness is definitely not an easy thing to deal with. There
have been many tears, many dreams I've had to give over to God and many frustrating situations to
go through. I don't know how it'll all end, but what I do know is that my Comforter and
Savior hasn't abandoned me, nor will he treat me in a cruel or demeaning manner. Unlike some of
the medical providers I've dealt with, God loves me, has compassion for me and treats me like a
person instead of an object. Who wouldn't want that kind of love?
God bless you, and thank you for reading!
About me
First and foremost I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. After that, I'm a blessed husband,
father and grandfather. I do remote computer work for a living although it's mostly
part-time. I'm an amateur radio operator - AF7EC. When I'm not working on the endless
list of house and car projects, I like to tinker with electronics, like to listen to
shortwave radio and write software (mostly open-source) in C, C++, Python and Free
Pascal. I usually run Linux as my main operating system but sometimes I'm forced to
endure macOS and Windows 11 for gaming with my son or testing software. Overall, I am
a big nobody, but always willing to share about Jesus and all that God has done for me
and my family.
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