I wished you had softened the blows of the truth
Question:
Good morning,
I stumbled across your site this morning. I found it very useful in my personal endeavor, so naturally, I began exploring this new goldmine of wisdom and scripture. I admire your work, and I very much appreciate this amazing resource shedding light and truth in a dark world.
I will be upfront. I am no expert in Scripture. I came to be saved sort of later in life. I have been through various levels of difficulties and sin prior to the dedication of my life to Him. I feel very zealous for the Lord and all things. I love Him so much, and the more I learn and walk with Him, the appreciation and thanksgiving and awe and wonder I feel for His mercy and love for us people who don’t deserve it - agh!! It’s just beyond description!
To put it simply, I give you that backstory of myself to say that I am not claiming to be an expert and am in no way challenging your knowledge and wisdom when I reveal my main point for contacting you today. You are very strong and secure in the Word, and I simply come to give my “two cents” because I feel that I can truly understand the place of the broken as I haven’t been from it very long. I hope to bridge a gap there where you are much further removed from this place of darkness. It pained me to read a couple of responses you gave to a person. It wasn't what you said (it was wise and true) but what you did not say. I feel empathy for others so strongly that it is uncomfortable. At times, it can trouble me deeply. Such was activated when I read the exchange between you and an autistic young man. Some scriptures bring much consolation to the suffering that I wish you would have included softening the blows of truth (you rightfully gave - your honesty is so admirable, but without a balancing softer note in, in this case, it hurt my heart for the troubled young man).
As I previously stated, I am no expert; I cannot directly quote- but the Scriptures reference those with much suffering on earth having many rewards in heaven. And a blessing to those who endure the hardships, for they will be rewarded. What I drew from these passages was not to think that He doesn’t see or know these sufferings. He doesn’t wish them for us, but He created this place and all things, and although he allows it to run its course, you are so loved and will be greatly rewarded for being steadfast in peace, hope, love, and faith in this world and the harsh nature it brought upon its self. He cherishes very much those who experience difficulties (such as autism) and still call upon His name in faith. Those who don't suffer and have faith do not trudge through obstacles and fight as much to be there. He is possibly referring to Paul as well in that we are not at war with the world. We are at war with things unseen, and to succumb to such thoughts of self-pity and suicide is to give in to the external pressures of those who oppose Him. Oh, and Job! I almost forgot! How He allowed Job to be tested without interfering would have also made a very empowering, hopeful impact on the reader as well. For him to read the Book of Job and find strength in that he may be in a comparable state emotionally and for the reader to draw strength from this and wake up every day remembering how Joe endured.
Please don’t be offended or feel challenged or think I am discrediting your ministry. The exact opposite is true! I have loved everything I have read thus far and will continue to use your site now that I know of its existence! I will also recommend it to friends at any chance I get. In a nutshell, hurting people and broken people need comfort with the truth. Not truth alone. In their weakened state, delivering only truth that they cannot digest yet may push them away from the help they are obviously seeking. And the fact that they are inquiring through your site is an indication that they have the seed planted already, although packed down with dirt. It must be there! They just feel unworthy, hopeless, and alone. Hug them with scripture for their hurting worldly hearts so that they may be truly open to benefit from the spiritual truth you give them for repairing their eternal soul.
Thank you for all your work and for developing this sight! Thank you for this well of information in the name of The Lord! I love it, and I hope you continue with this and have a blessed life! You’re so inspiring! You truly show how to wear the armor of God!
Yours truly,
Answer:
I am guessing that you are referring to "Why did God force me to live with autism when I don't want it?" The exchange took place back in 2011.
I sometimes hear from people who, from the sidelines, believe they can make better calls than the players. Sometimes, they are correct, but more often than not, they overlook critical information.
Generally, subtleties are lost on people with autism. Direct, calm discussions are easier for an autistic person to deal with. To you, since you are more emotional, you interpret direct speech as harsh. You also skipped over how often I told him I cared about him.
The young man wrote because he wanted someone to talk him out of suicide. I gave him things to think about and pointed out areas where his thinking led him astray. The more I can get him to reason, the quicker the emotional storm in his head will calm down. I was thrilled that he wrote back because that meant he thought about what I mentioned. You don't see in the email exchanges that I gave him ways to contact me so we could talk directly.
There are different ways to handle issues in people's lives. I post messages like this exchange so others can learn various ways to approach problems. Usually, several different approaches might work, and you have to pick the one you think will work best in that situation. Just because you would have picked a different route, it doesn't mean that the route selected was wrong or ill-advised.
"And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh" (James 2:22-23).
