Comments on: Without Your Wound, Where Would Your Power Be? https://orthodoxandgay.com/without-your-wound-where-would-your-power-be Orthodox and gay Thu, 09 Nov 2023 19:58:30 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Andriy https://orthodoxandgay.com/without-your-wound-where-would-your-power-be#comment-83211 Thu, 09 Nov 2023 19:58:30 +0000 http://orthodoxandgay.com/?p=3646#comment-83211 Thank you so very much for your kind message and support. It is very heartwarming that this reflection touched your heart. May your brother find rest in the bosom of Abraham and may his memory be eternal in the kingdom of our Lord. Although your brother did not want attention drawn to his illness, it is obvious that he suffered greatly. It is to his credit that he was able to re-direct the attention people were placing on him, to that “which is needful” (Luke 10:42) It pains me that your father never fully accepted him. It is wonderful that you were so accepting of him and understood that we all are in need of unconditional love, from God as well as others.

Please know that you are surrounded by God’s love.
Andriy

]]> By: Anonymous https://orthodoxandgay.com/without-your-wound-where-would-your-power-be#comment-83210 Thu, 09 Nov 2023 19:58:09 +0000 http://orthodoxandgay.com/?p=3646#comment-83210 Thank you so very much for your kind message and support. It is very heartwarming that this reflection touched your heart. May your brother find rest in the bosom of Abraham and may his memory be eternal in the kingdom of our Lord. Although your brother did not want attention drawn to his illness, it is obvious that he suffered greatly. It is to his credit that he was able to re-direct the attention people were placing on him, to that “which is needful” (Luke 10:42) It pains me that your father never fully accepted him. It is wonderful that you were so accepting of him and understood that we all are in need of unconditional love, from God as well as others.

Please know that you are surrounded by God’s love.
Andriy

]]> By: Tammy https://orthodoxandgay.com/without-your-wound-where-would-your-power-be#comment-83208 Thu, 26 Oct 2023 07:46:40 +0000 http://orthodoxandgay.com/?p=3646#comment-83208 Thank you for this. My brother recently passed away. He prayed for healing every day. He’’d suffered terrible injury to his legs in an accident and lived with pain every day. He became addicted to pain medication which destroyed his pancreas leaving him diabetic which he left untreated being denial of. The drugs he’d experimented with to control his pain left him on a mental rollercoaster of uncontrollable highs and lows which prevented him from caring for his diseases and emotional wellbeing. He loved dearly, the least of God’s with compassion and understanding and also lashed out at loved ones with misplaced anger and regret for the condition his life was in. I tried to reach him and encourage him to love and care for himself but couldn’t break through his mental afflictions. He suffered a terrible heart attack and sought healing through doctors and Christ for year before he passed. My father never having fully approved of my brother was an added layer of pain to him. My mother eager to help but lacking warmth and patience left him feeling abandoned. He valued my acceptance of him and unconditional love. My brother. A wounded soul and body. I have a lot of resentment at my father who with his strict religious views told my brother God would heal him if he truly believed and that demons where the reason he was depressed and struggling emotionally. I forgive my parents but wish my brothers life had been different.

What you’ve written gives me comfort and meaning for his pain and suffering. Through his illness I watched him love the least and the weak. At his funeral strangers lined up to share his love and generosity with us. And my father knew my brother for the first time through their eyes.

]]>