Encourage One Another: Elizabeth Lamparter

I Thessalonians 5:11, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." It is time for a I Thessalonians 5:11 post! I really enjoy picking someone weekly to thank, encourage and spotlight for others to recognize. Today I am writing about my sister, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is one year and a week past her diagnosis of breast cancer. Last year she struggled with this disease, and, I am so happy to say, God, in all His power and sovereignty, graciously provided healing and provision for Elizabeth and her family. It was a joy to celebrate with Elizabeth this last weekend, as we all participated in the Susan Komen breastcancer awareness event.

What I have enjoyed witnessing in Elizabeth is her praise and recognition that God is her physician, healer and Lord. She is able to point to Him when speaking about healing and making it through this difficult year. We know God allowed the cancer to come to Elizabeth for His purposes, but we also know that, in this case, He healed her and gave her the strength and ability to face the challenges and anxieties of cancer.

We have been studying trials in Bible Study this week. The first chapter of I Peter 1:6-7 tells us that trials are given to expose the genuineness of our faith.

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you have had to
suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of
greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be
proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is
revealed."

The speaker further illuminated this by telling the metaphor of a pearl. Irritants applied to oyster shells create valuable pearls. One reason God applies trials to our lives is to reveal the value and strength of our faith--to us and others (He already knows!). What struck me as most poignant was the fact that, for each individual, God knows exactly how hard and how long a trial we require. He gives us no less and no more. Some of us will have gigantic pearls! That is comforting when we are pressed on all sides!

My sister, Elizabeth, has a beautiful "pearl" of value after such a strenuous trial. She recognizes her Heavenly Father in all of it, and she has memories of clinging to Christ when earthly people and wisdom could not give her relief or answers. Whether or not God heals us, removes pain, or stops a trial, we should be joyful that God is in control and has an ultimate purpose. As Christians, we are saved (the goal of our faith--the salvation of our souls) and are being made more and more holy through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. May our trials bring out sin and impurities in our hearts that God can remove, so our faith can be proven genuine and we can better mirror God's character to others!