The courageous May “Lifeline” story of Nancy Callies’s confrontation with disease and death becomes eternally important as she reaches for Luther’s favorite Psalm (46). This pastor’s wife brings to Lutheran Witness readers a true Mother’s Day message: “Be still and know that I am God.” In the midst of suffering, jihad fears, and economic uncertainties, the comforting words from this faithful woman are rooted in what Jesus Christ said to His disciples as the storm raged and the waves roared, and it is applicable to our own time today.
Dr. Albert E. Jabs
Lexington, S.C.
The May “Lifeline” story, “Frazzled Faith,” struck home. I lost my beloved husband to pulmonary fibrosis Jan. 1, 2003. I can relate to what Nancy Callies is saying. My husband was 73 years old, vibrant and alive, a loving husband, father, and grandfather.
To this day, even after seven years, it sends chills up my spine to see someone on oxygen. I have to turn off the TV when there is such a scene.
It is a terrible thing to be told there is nothing more that can be done, that it is terminal. Although we realize we are all terminal, we are never prepared to hear these words.
I hope the lung transplant has been helpful for Nancy and that our Lord will indeed give her more time to enjoy her family—and a life lived to God’s glory.
“Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10) is a meaningful verse for all of us, even when we are enjoying robust health.
Mrs. Darline Kussmann
Brunswick, Mo.
Thank you for the “Frazzled Faith” article. Please keep us informed as to how Nancy Callies is doing after her lung transplant. I pray she is doing better and can be doing more things again.
Arlene Leodler
Beecher, Ill.
Nancy Callies reports that, despite some adjustments to medications and several health issues related to the transplant itself, God has been “very gracious” to her. She is no longer homebound and is oxygen-free during the day. Challenges remain, she says, but “I am confident God will lead me through them, even as He has cared for me in the past.” —Ed.
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