Bryson City Secrets: Even More Tales of a Small-Town Doctor in the Smoky Mountains by MD Walt Larimore Page B

in his ministry of caring and healing is a simple yet profound “Do not be afraid, for I will be with you always.”
    The fear I felt when I saw Tommy and when I inserted the chest tube indicated that I wasn’t very accomplished at the “do not be afraid” thing just yet. But I was hopeful that fending off fear would become a characteristic of my future life — professional and personal. Sitting on the bench that night, I bowed my head to pray just that.

chapter eleven
    A THREEFOLD CORD
    L ater that week, Rick dropped by the house after dinner one evening.
    â€œAnyone home?” he called.
    â€œIt’s Uncle Rick!” the kids exclaimed as they ran from the living room through the kitchen and into his arms. After hugs all around, Rick and his diminutive minions paraded into the living room.
    â€œWhere’s Barb?” Rick asked.
    â€œAnd howdy to you too!” I responded.
    â€œHey, Walt,” Rick laughed as he plopped onto the couch. The kids settled back onto the floor where they were playing — toys scattered all about. Whenever I had a day off, it was characteristic of Rick to drop by to fill me in and to consult on the day’s events at the office and hospital.
    â€œBarb’s down at church. Tina Hicks has her involved in a women’s Bible study.”
    â€œShe like it?”
    â€œTina or the Bible study?” I asked.
    Rick laughed.
    â€œI think she likes both.”
    â€œWhat are they studying?”
    â€œIt’s a study on what the Bible says about suffering and pain.”
    â€œIs it about how to avoid pain and suffering — because if it is, I wanna sign up.”
    I laughed. “I wish!”
    Rick smiled. “What’s she learning?”
    â€œActually, Barb says she’s been surprised to learn how much the Bible has to say about how suffering is part of the human condition. She’s been sharing her lessons with me, and we’ve been shocked to learn that followers of Jesus are actually called to suffer. Even though we’ve studied the Bible together for a long time, I’ve gotta tell ya, this was new ground for us.”
    â€œWhere does the Bible talk about Christians and suffering?” Rick asked.
    I put down the paper I was reading and reached over to pick up the Bible sitting by my chair. I flipped through it until I found what I was looking for. “Listen to this: ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’ What Barb and I found interesting is that the verse doesn’t say ‘ if you face trials’ but ‘ whenever you face trials.’ ”
    â€œThat’s some heavy stuff, I’d say!” Rick exclaimed. “Maybe you and I should go through that Bible study.”
    I nodded as I turned the pages to another verse. “Here’s another one: ‘In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.’ ”
    â€œSo do you think God causes trials and suffering?”
    â€œI don’t know the answer to that, Rick. I mean, I know God allows trials. Remember the story of Job, where God let Satan put Job through various trials. And God allowed that. But does God cause suffering? I guess I’ll have to study on that some more — or let Tina and Barb share the answer with us when they learn it.”
    Rick smiled.
    â€œBut I’m convinced of this — God can and will use the trials we go through in such a way that they will eventually turn out for good. To me that’s heavy