I sometimes struggle with why people endure suffering. I feel called to champion the families who have been hit hard by vaccine injuries. Many families I know have lost a child immediately after receiving the recommended vaccinations. Others have watched their child have reactions ranging from severe crying, severe bowel issues, developmental delays, autism, auto-immune disorders, etc.

These are loving caring parents and they are often devastated by the extent of the challenges they face in their “new normal.” A way of life they never imagined.

These parents do a variety of things with their pain. Many are very angry. Others become valiant warriors who want to help other parents and children avoid the tragedy they have experienced.

It would not be surprising if many of those suffering indescribable suffering, that has continued for day after day, year after year, grew angry with God. I could totally understand.

I don’t think God inflicts suffering on people. I think God has allowed the suffering in the world to play out, but I think it breaks His heart to watch His suffering children.

I know God can heal any and every condition. But healing is not automatic and not everyone is healed.

Does that mean God doesn’t care? Or that He isn’t able to help?

There are many things we will only know when we get to heaven. God allows suffering and He often uses our suffering to bring about His good purposes.

We have lost a noble warrior for truth, Melanie Hamilton, AKA Booty Kicker. Melanie has been fighting for healing for her vaccine-injured son for years. She has also had to battle with cancer.

An amazing woman by the name of Melanie Hamilton Baldwin changed the face of autism and cancer culture by telling her story to thousands as “Booty Kicker” in the Thinking Moms’ Revolution’s book Autism Beyond the Spectrum. Having once beaten breast and bone (hip) cancer; she recently battled liver, spine, and bone cancer in her other hip. For anyone who knew Melanie, two words come to mind. “Faithful” and “Godly.”  Melanie leaves her severely affected son Luke, who still requires 24/7 care and attention as he is self-injurious and quite ill, suffering the lingering effects of severe autism. Please consider donating generously  to help her family care for Luke as she is now gone.

There really aren’t words to comfort her fellow warriors or her family at this time. Anything you think of to say just seems so hallow, so cliché. The pain she endured was terrific, but it is over now. I hope Paul’s words to the Corinthians could in some way bring hope to Melanie’s family and friends and to anyone else who has endured great suffering:

We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. 2 Corinthians 4:14-5:10

We have confidence that Melanie is in heaven and has received a rich welcome. Her loved ones on earth continue to soldier on and I pray they will find renewal for their spirits every single day as they continue this journey. I also pray that her life’s legacy will continue and that many families will find help and many others will be spared the hardships she endured because of her valiant noble commitment to her son, her family and helping others.

Thank you Melanie for your bold warrior spirit and legacy that will live on.  Becky

Day 18 of Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

If you have been helped in any way through my musings, please give glory to God. If you find anything disappointing or offensive – please let me know so I can improve.

• Day 17: I want more
• Day 16: Jesus: Delusional, Liar, or God?
• Day 15: How’s Your Heart?
• Day 14: Too Smart for God?
• Day 13: Where can I Find Hope?
• Day 12: Our Designer
• Day 11: One essential to come to God
• Day 10: How does faith begin?
• Day 9: Faith in the midst of Adversity 
• Day 8: Current State of the World
• Day 7: What does Jesus want from me?
• Day 6: The Critical Question
• Day 5: Best Invitation Ever
• Day 4: Freedom
• Day 3: My Stabilizing Factor 
• Day 2: Knowledge of God and Blessing
• Day 1: Does it make sense to seek Jesus in 2014?