CHRISTIANS CARE. Spring 2016 | Page 15

Far From Tivoli Lauren Galvan ’16 When I first booked the flight back home, I was thinking about how to prepare myself mentally and emotionally to provide some sort of support for Noel and Kristy. I was preparing myself to be the reassuring friend, sacrificing my time and money because I loved them. I was totally unprepared for the spiritual renewal God had in store for me. In the time I spent at Noel and Kristy’s house with a cancer patient and her numerous caretakers, I learned so much about faith. I saw, up close and personal, what it was like for a marriage to be tested to the limit, and what it looked like when both spouses are willing to have complete faith in one another and in God. Ironically, I was the one reassured by Kristy, with her unwavering belief that God’s plan for her is good and in motion. Kristy used to live such an active lifestyle, filled with activities like rock climbing, rally car racing, and paintball. And then, all these things were taken away from her and her body began to waste away. But despite this, her spirit remains unbroken, strengthened even, and somehow she is still able to inspire those around her. There have been so many people that, upon meeting Kristy or reading her blog, are simply amazed by this woman of God and her faith. ...one theme was abundantly clear to me: God is faithful and we are called to place our trust wholly in Him. Sparrow’s Way Lauren Galvan ’16 This isn’t to say that the road God places in front of us is easy and free from trouble. In fact, as was extremely plain to me, many times we feel and see so much pain that we wonder how this can possibly be what God wants. And yet, somehow, God gives us enough strength to cry out 5o Him for help. God blesses us in so many ways, and He just wants us to trust Him to carry us when we inevitably fall. (link to Kristy’s blog: http://kristyesporo.blogspot.com/) Note: Inspired by C.S. Lewis’s Problem of Pain and A Grief Observed Joshua Wang is a senior concentrating in Mechanical Engineering. Spring 2016 13