quality of life

I had a meeting with clients yesterday who have become good friends.  The husband is a very friendly, outgoing guy who served our country in a long army career and fought in Viet Nam.  (His wife is also very warm and friendly).  Sometime over the past year he had a stroke.  For a while he couldn't speak...but he's battled hard to relearn speech and now he talks just fine.  He's right handed and, unfortunately, the stroke disabled his right side.  After months of strenuous effort he's partially regained some use of his right arm and leg, but he has lost the ability to write or even grasp anything with his right hand.  Simple daily acts like brushing teeth and pulling on pants have become difficult.  His wife is an angel and has become his strong right hand.  My point is that despite the dramatic loss of body function, my friend is enjoying a high quality of life.  He sees his limitations only as a challenge to his determination and rather than becoming bitter or withdrawn he has remained just as optimistic and light-hearted as he was before the stroke.  More than ever, his marriage is a thing of beauty because there is greater interdependence as he relies on her help in countless ways.  It occurred to me that the quality of life has nothing to do with external limitations and everything to do with our heart and mind and attitude.

 

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

blessings,

 

Rob Smith