"The story of Job describes how his friends came and just sat with him
for a week after the tribulation in his life began. Friends and people
spending time with suffering people is a great blessing. When God is
with you, that is all that matters," Curtis explained. The problem of
the friends in the Book of Job, is that the friends got into some
dialogue with Job that was destructive.
How can you be a friend and not bring destructive elements into the
life of a person who is suffering? Curtis had some suggestions: 1) Be
a friend and be close by during the illness. 2) Acknowledge the
suffering that is happening and don't ignore it. 3) Recognize that you
may be depressed when you see a friend suffering, but just be
there--you don't have to talk to fill up the time or give explanations!
4) Phone calls or e-mails may be a substitute for a personal visit if
you just can't bear to physically see the suffering person.
Curtis ought to know. He was called into the ministry of Jesus Christ
at age 19 and served for 24 years as a pastor in the United Methodist
Church. He has suffered with Parkinson' and was one of the first to
have the "brain pace-maker" to alleviate Parkinson's effects. He
subsequently developed multiple myeloma, has been treated, and is
currently in remission. He has had so much medical care, he notes that
"Blue Cross trembles at the sound of my name!" Current health problems
relate to compression fractures and sequellae from cancer management.
