In his book Deserted by God?, author and pastor Sinclair Ferguson shares the following story:

The first physician to die of the AIDS virus in the United Kingdom was a young Christian. He had contracted it while doing medical research in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. In the last days of his life, his power of communication failed. He struggled with increasing difficulty to express his thoughts to his wife. On ...

Almost 20 years ago I received a letter from a young mother in my church at the time. Her name was Jan, and this is the story she wrote me:

It was the end. I knew it. I could no longer fight. I sat here emotionless. I was totally alone. Others had tried to help—doctors, nurses, parents, husband, children. But they were gone. Hours earlier I had come into the hospital on an emergency basis. I ...

Bishop and author William Willimon tells of an encounter he once had with a dying woman:

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When I entered the room that afternoon, I could see she was very near the end.

"Would you like me to pray for you?" I asked. "Would you like me to summon a priest?"

With her last ounce of energy, she held out the crucifix toward me, which depicted the body of Christ nailed to the cross. She said, "Thank you—but ...

Being from the South, I love ribs. I remember hearing about this particular restaurant that had amazing ribs, and a bunch of my friends and I drove 50 minutes to get there. The place was packed, and the food was great. It was "all you can eat rib night," and rib bones were piling up as fast as the line to get in. Eating ribs is messy business. Barbecue sauce gets on your face, fingers, and clothes; ...

Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, writes:

Christianity does not so much offer solutions to the problems of suffering, but rather provides the promise of a God who is completely present with us in suffering. Only Christians believe in a God who says, "Here I am alongside you. I have experienced the same suffering you have. I know what it is like." No other ...