Seeing Through The Fog

When I saw this book offered for free on Amazon to read I jumped at the chance to read it. I have never heard of Ed Dobson, but I have heard of ALS for several of my family members have it and some have even passed away from this devastating disease. In fact, one of my cousins just recently passed and her life was a testament of joy and love despite losing her muscles functions. Her family loved her so much and you can tell by the memorial they had for her.

Reading Dobson’s book on being diagnosis and going through the ramifications of the disease opened my eyes to a few things that I never considered with my own disease. One of the most compelling thoughts that Dobson addressed in his book was on gratefulness. He said, God doesn’t require us to be grateful for the disease itself, but being grateful that we wake up to face another day to enjoy the many things of life. God doesn’t give us cancer or disease to endure, but we get them because we live in a broken world full of disease and He helps us maneuver through the challenges that we face and we can be thankful and grateful for this. I like this concept. When I have heard people tell me that God gave them a disease or caused them to get sick, it sickened my heart, but I thought God wouldn’t do that at all. But he also doesn’t protect us from things happening to use either, we are human beings and we go through the challenges and he aides us through the challenges so we can rely on him and know that he is God.

Forgiveness, another subject Dobson dives into in his book and something that is a challenge for every single person. I have had the exact same issues with people thinking it is their “Christian Duty” to forgive, like it is a badge they carry on their chest, that God gave them the power to forgive, but when forgiveness is much more than that. It isn’t just saying the words “I forgive you” and it isn’t a “duty” that is required of us by God. Forgiveness is about making peace and letting go of wrongs so that everyone, including you can move on and be healed from the slights that happen in every relationship. Opinions differ, fights happen, and even heads butt, but forgiveness allows love to break through and allows you to be who you are in God. We are all on different roads of knowing and experiencing God and though we want to take a rod and beat people in the head until they know God like we do that doesn’t help the person, God, or ourselves to cultivate relationship. Relationship is important to God. He values it, that is why many chapters are written on relationship and how to having a healthy one with each other and with him. I love the insight that Dobson gives when realizing that he could pass away and he needed to make peace with some people in his life and he wanted to ask forgiveness and extend forgiveness to those, he recounts his experiences and the most compelling to mine was when one of his friends says to him. You don’t need to ask for forgiveness I have let it go. How amazing is that? I hope that I can be one of those types of people that can let things go and still love anyway.

As you can tell I got a lot out of reading “Seeing Through the Fog” and I know you will to so I recommend you read and absorb the power of this book.