280 How to Find Purpose in Pain After a Hemorrhagic Stroke

Episode Summary: 

My guest today suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at the age of 29, and then subsequently developed epilepsy. I speak with Lori Vober about how God has taken her painful wounds and fashioned them into beautiful sacred scars, teaching her that every trial we face provides us with unique opportunities we might not have otherwise encountered.

Quotables from the episode:

• With the right perspective, attitude, and perseverance, we can stay unstuck and keep moving forward even with our difficulties.
• Some of our greatest areas of ministry come out of our greatest areas of pain and woundedness.
• My journey took me through pain physically, mentally, and emotionally but God had me in the palm of his hand because he not only saved my life but he started me on my faith journey long before the stroke so I had a firm foundation to stand on and I learned more and more about how to depend on him.
• He gives us a choice regarding how we are going to look at our painful wounds, and I’m so grateful that allowed me to go through the fire but also to become closer to him.
• When we go through trials, we can either lean into God or we can run the other way. But he’s not going to chase us. He wants us to willingly come to him.
• When things are going well, I have a tendency to think, “I’ve got this, God. I’ll let you know when I need help!” But when I go through the trials that seem so dark, that’s when I hold onto every nugget that the Lord has given me over my life.
• Trials offer opportunities. Too often, we begrudge the trials and don’t dig in to look for opportunities and don’t consider things outside our box.
• Perseverance ends up yielding the blessing of God’s mercy and compassion.
•  Perseverance has definitely been required. No one clued me in that 21 years down the road I would still have a disability.
• Grief and loss have also been part of the equation but didn’t hit me right away, but rather, has been a journey that I’ve had to go through over time. But it has helped me to recognize the importance of processing grief and loss in order to move forward.
• Sometimes we associate grief and loss with the death of a loved one, but grief and loss also occur when we lose our functioning or lose our dreams.
• God gives us so many mini-miracles, and when God doesn’t give you the dream of your heart, we have to be okay with that and thank him for all the other mini-miracles He has provided. If He had granted me the full desires of my heart, I would not have had the blessing of the journey that has led me to where I am today.
• We need to let God be God and still trust him.
• I woke up paralyzed on one side. I can walk, but I do so with a limp. I have physical pain. I’m still actively engaged in therapy. But He keeps giving me amazing opportunities.
• God can handle our anger…He knows about it anyway.
• When I finally expressed my frustration and anger to God, it was as if He was saying, “now we can deal with it and get somewhere.”
• Vulnerability is so important, but we can do so honestly in a positive way.
• I’ve learned so much through my own need for emotional support, that was never really met, how to support others.
• When we are vulnerable in our suffering, it gives other people permission to be honest and vulnerable about their situation too.
• We’re all going to go through something painful, embarrassing, shameful, but in the hands of a redemptive God, he can bring about a beautiful sacred scar.
• We have to give grace to ourselves as well as to our friends and family members who aren’t sure how to help because they haven’t gone through it themselves and truly don’t understand.
• Every challenge, every trial that we go through is part of His master plan and purpose for us, it’s just a matter of us getting out of the way of our plans and saying, “Yes, God, I understand that this doesn’t fit into my plan, but it does fit into yours.” We have to be willing to look at how our situation fits into God’s master plan.
• I have a tendency to make my plans and want God to fit in it, but we need to surrender to His perfect plan.
• God is the only thing that is going to get you through painful situations. Our true hope is in God. The One who created us and the One who is waiting for us at the end of this earthly life is the only One who truly matters.

Scripture References:

• James 5:11 “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”

Recommended Resources: 

• Choices: When You Are Faced With a Challenge, What Choice Will You Make? By Lori Vober
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