HIS Grace is Sufficient

In 2 Corinthians 12, it is believed Paul is speaking of himself visiting the third heaven. Although Paul sounds like he is boasting,  he was more likely speaking of how uniquely touched he was by GOD. Earlier in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul is describing the dangers he has endured, the sleepless days, how he has gone hungry and thirsty, of the pressure of leading new churches, the warrants out for his arrest, his jail time and his physical harm from beatings and stoning.  Paul certainly had suffered for His Lord and GOD, but his point was that he was still there and GOD had been with him the entire time.

As many of you know, Bill Ward has been suffering a great deal of pain in his back over the years, but Bill always strived to be in church as often as he could. Even though it took everything he had just to get into the Sanctuary, Bill always had that smile and genuine appreciation for being in the FATHER’S House. And then several years ago, Bill had a stroke and suffered further limitations in his mobility. But Bill advocated for SBBC to offer online services and since we started broadcasting, Bill has been online eagerly greeting us in the chat box, ready to worship the Lord.

As his daughter started first grade, Bill got her a yellow Labrador puppy named Ginger. Over the years, Ginger would go to the window to see Sara off to school and would be at that same window waiting for her to return home. Yet it was apparent that Ginger was a service dog and she loved her people. When Bill could no longer work and had to go on disability, Ginger sensed Bill’s pain and she took her place by his side. Many times Bill would tell me how much Ginger has helped him by being there with him through the pain. Every time I visited Bill, Ginger would be on his bed or jumping up on the bed by Bill’s side. Ginger was a great service dog and Bill’s best friend.

Since his stroke, Bill has had to visit the Doctor’s on a regular basis and transportation is a struggle with a large electric wheelchair. To add to that challenge, Bill’s house had a bad drainage problem that would soften the ground around the front of the house. On a dry day Bill could roll over the yard to the road, but if it had rained, the ground would be too soft and would inhibit Bill from rolling his electric chair out to the road for special transport. On some occasions, Michelle (Bill’s Wife) would have to cancel the appointment because they couldn’t get Bill to the Doctor. Even though Bill has been dealt a tough hand in life, he is not one to complain or expect others to provide for him.

This situation needed some extensive repairs.  But that is when the Lord’s Grace proved sufficient.  Some ladies of the church had previously held a silent auction to raise monies for the Ward’s project.  God really blessed the auction to provide finances for bathroom remodeling and the drainage repair.  But SBBC struggled to find someone with the expertise to fix this drainage problem.  In a restaurant one day, a Shady Brook member asked a customer, the owner of a landscape company, to bid on the project. That owner was a Deacon in his church and was willing to meet at the Ward’s house on a Sunday afternoon to look over the problem. After providing us a reasonable bid, the work was completed within a few weeks and resolved the problem in an exceptional manner.  God provided. 

Now that the drainage problem was resolved, it was time to look at fixing the damaged sidewalk and extending the driveway for Bill’s electric chair.  We reached out to Daniel Hovis to guide us on what a reasonable estimate would be. Daniel not only provided us with his recommendations on the concrete, he also reached out to his Veteran’s group to see if they could support this effort. In response, this group of combat veterans pledged to pay for the cost of the concrete for this project. What a blessing God provided through these men.  Additionally, Daniel spoke with his Father-In-Law about this project and he graciously donated the labor.  God had faithfully provided once again.

Yesterday, Daniel and his crew arrived at 0700 hours to begin the project of removing dirt and forming up for the concrete pad. As the concrete truck arrived that morning, the crew went about filling in the pad area and the vision to enable Bill to drive himself out to his driveway to go to his appointment was finally coming true. That vision was solely fueled by the Lord’s Grace.   

After pleading with the Lord three times to remove the “thorn in his flesh,” in 2 Corinthians 12:9 Jesus tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  The Lord’s grace was very evident throughout this project and He alone orchestrated the sequence of events that made this all possible. But Jesus’ grace doesn’t end with the drainage repair and the upgraded concrete in this story. Friday, Bill’s dog Ginger had to be put to sleep after her health deteriorated rapidly. But as tragic as it is to put down a member of the family, Michelle was able to find a Veterinarian willing to come to the house and administer the medicine. Bill was able to be there with his best friend as she left this earth. God’s grace was sufficient indeed.

Bill and his family are very grateful to everyone who made this project possible and wish to sincerely express their thanks.

Even though Bill endures pain on a daily basis and just lost his beloved pet, he knows his Lord’s grace is sufficient for him. Whatever you may be suffering with, let us remember that the Lord has told us that His grace is sufficient and we need to recognize His grace in our lives.