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Chris Fabry
Married to Andrea since 1982. We have 9 children together and none apart. Our dog's name is Tebow.
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Where We Are Now

After finding and remediating mold twice in our Colorado home, we abandoned ship in October 2008. Because of the high levels of exposure, our entire family was affected. After months of seeing different specialists for all of the problems, we came to Arizona to begin comprehensive treatment to rid our bodies of the toxic buildup. In August 2009 we moved into a larger home, four bedrooms, south of Tucson, north of Mexico. I am doing my daily radio program/ writing from that location. Thanks for praying for us. We really feel it.

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Thursday, September 23, 2010
Brian Kluth was on the program yesterday. We were going to have a conversation about generosity and finances and the economy. It turned into a conversation (two hours) about pain and how God uses it. Brian lost his wife on August 11th to cancer. Not the big “c,” according to Brian.

A caller told us that as she goes to sleep each night, she asks God to “take her.” She doesn’t want to live because of the pain of the past and present. Have you ever been there? Many have.

After the program, I received this email:

Dear Chris,
I was on my way home from work when I heard the caller. My heart went out to hear her pain. I know her pain and have lived it. I lived through abuse of all kinds from my grandparents, my mother, stepfathers and spouses. I ran just like she did from my pain thinking it would not bother me or that I continue to hold a grudge. I never fully realized that I continually kept that pain alive and kept up walls. I became a Christian 11 years ago. I thought that because Jesus saved me that all the past would in a way disappear. My past IS under the blood of Jesus but there was mending in me that He wanted to do. The Lord had to sort through all the horrible pain, insufferable things and mend my heart. I went to counseling with an organization called Freedom Ministries. It is intensive prayer, learning to let go of my high expectations, dealing with abandonment, fear, anything. I praise God that I went through the pain and was able to give it over to Jesus. The most amazing thing, I finally understood how much Jesus loves me. Even all the horrible choices I had made thinking that I had no others options. I can't express it fully but the feeling I get from her is “walls and isolation keep you in chains to the lies.” I know I have more mending. I guess I'm writing because I never realized how much Jesus loved me or how broken my heart really was. Just like her. We live in a mean world and I pray that she finds her way. I wish I could write more and explain better but I just can't put all my emotions into words. Just Lord help her and bless her.

I love that kind of prayer and that kind of realization. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, our pain doesn’t go away. The past is still there. But as we gaze upon Him, and as we focus on what he has made us, what he wants us to do, we’re able to get a better perspective of life. We’re enabled to be free.

Read Philippians 2:1-11 and focus on verse 8.

The ultimate obedient act that Jesus performed was to offer himself, to be obedient to death on a cross.

Jesus died for the events in your past that haunt you.

He died so that you wouldn’t have to pay the penalty for them.

Because of the obedience of Jesus, he purchased what you could never purchase on your own.

Have you ever prayed for God to “take you?”

Why do you think he didn’t? He could certainly take any of us as soon as we become believers.

What does God want you to do today in obedience to him?

How can you follow in the footsteps of obedience to Jesus?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, I have prayed for God to take me. I don't understand why he doesn't because I do not deserve to live. Everyday is a struggle. I am looking forward to your program today on suicide. I am so tired of feeling like this.

Anonymous said...

My daughter has had thoughts of suicide - she suffers from depression which is sometimes so debilitating that she hears voices telling her that she is unworthy of life. I also have a friend who has schizophrenia and deals with those kind of voices on a daily basis - despite the meds, even despite the Holy Spirit's message of hope. My daughter says that she feels hopeless, helpless and useless. How can a faithful follower of Jesus deal with these issues???

Anonymous said...

Hi Chris,
I come from a family where there have been numerous suicides and I admit that I've thought about it myself. The one thing that would keep me from such an act is what it would do to my family, husband, children and grandchildren. It is without a doubt the most selfish act anyone can commit. It leaves loved ones with no closure. My sister committed suicide nearly 20 years ago and it still hurts just as much today as it did then. She was not a believer. My other sister has also tried to commit suicide several times and has been missing for several years. When my sister died the people of our church abandoned us. We eventually felt we had to find another. I don't believe the pain ever completely goes away.
God Bless You,