Glorious Ruin

Tullian Tchividjian has written a book about suffering and it might raise questions about why I would choose to read such a book. Life has enough suffering already, doesn't it? To some degree, I want to understand my own suffering.

I am going to give a bit of my history here. In 2003, I went to the doctor for a regular check up and mentioned indigestion that my doctor interpreted as possible gall stones. She scheduled me for an ultrasound that ended up turning my life upside down and backwards. During the ultrasound, the technician made inane comments about what he was seeing until he came to my right side. Then he got up and got another white-coated person to come and look at what he was seeing. Then I heard the words that make any "sane" person shudder, "We found a mass." I was scheduled for more tests and a biopsy. It took two weeks for me to hear the final words that made changes I would live with for the rest of my life. I have Neuroendocrine Tumors consistent with Carcinoid syndrome. I have a two clinics of doctors in two states to keep my disease in control, because it is not curable.

I had a certain pride because I never asked, "Why me?" and it took a while for God to bring me to my knees about my pride. It's ironic to think there is pride in suffering, but I had it--I was proud of how well I accepted my situation, and it swelled every time someone asked me how I was. Oh my.........

Tullian made so many important points in Glorious Ruin, it's hard to know where to begin to choose which ones to include in this review. I believe the most compelling thought I gleaned from this book is a quote from Steve Brown: "When pain comes, run to it and you will run straight into the arms of Jesus. Then you will laugh and dance in the freedom and reality of God's sufficiency and the power that becomes awesome in your weakness." It's true. More than God's sovereignty is God's sufficiency--His grace is sufficient, He is ready to supply all of our NEEDS, and He stands ready with open arms for us to cry "uncle," so that we will cry "Abba," and reach for Him.

This books is a definite MUST-READ because if you are not suffering right now, you will be. It's just part of living in this imperfect world.