VULNERABLE

Vulnerable

I just had an "ahah" moment and want to preserve it and share it here.

I am reading the Mick LaSalle review of HBO documentary "Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind" (Houston Chronicle, 7-16-18) So toward the end of documentary and review we all contemplate that time in Robin's life leading up to his suicide. I had last night been talking to a friend about another friend's suicide years ago and that the unfortunate friend in my past had the affliction of hearing voices in her head. (God, bless that precious child of Yours.)

This is the important truth that just fell out of the mix: People are most open to our Creator God and trying to do things His way, including receiving the gift of forgiveness that God has made available through Jesus' sacrifice, when they have been diagnosed with a terminal or other horrible disease or have endured some other personal hardship.
(This connects in my mind with thoughts and a conversation I've had recently about some other really nice people I've known who seem to have had noticeably more than their share of  misfortune, but who seems, again, really nice and open and wise and open to our Creator God.)
What if people are, in fact, more vulnerable and open -to God- when they are in the midst of trouble; and
what if the devil -the Bible, including Jesus, speaks of the devil and demons- sees such ones and knows that they are most open to God then and so launches his greatest attacks at such times BECAUSE devil knows that person could be open to receive God's good then.

Wow! That thought is important to me.
The Christian establishment has accepted for centuries (two, at least) that times of trouble are times when people are most open to help. I don't know how long the concept of employing or commissioning a chaplain in war situations or military or hospitals or hospice- how long that's been going on. But I would say that the  chaplains' place in society is based on two truths (not one truth, as I previously thought): 1) people need extra  spiritual and mental help at these times of extremity, and 2) these times are also times of special opportunity for the hearts of the afflicted ones.
That last paragraph reminds me of something former president Obama said: "An obstacle is an opportunity." (Put correct quote here)

If the devil sees those difficult times as times of opportunity and acts vigorously to cut those times short (by screaming "kill yourself! there is no hope!" into the inner ear of these afflicted ones), we who have God's good answer should  also act vigorously for those ones.

So I need to act upon this truth.

Thank you, Jesus.