Ministering to PALS and CALS (part I)

I've reached out to PALS (Person(s) with ALS) in the last few weeks. A few were newly diagnosed and bitter. The Lord gave me a passion for them, and I've been encouraging them by writing on their blogs. 

     It was hard on them not to be able to do everything they used to. Some wrote they wouldn’t see their child marry and have kids, while others were sad about the burden they placed on their loved ones. 

     I read a lady's blog, and she was asked to describe ALS. She wrote that it was a continuous series of losses. She mentioned losing one thing after another, from loss of strength to loss of independence. 

     ALS is a horrific disease, and PALS suffers greatly. It is tough reading their blogs about their feelings and emotions. Their fate is death, and the road ahead is difficult. 

     I desired for each of them to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I didn't want them to suffer while on Earth and go to Hell because they did not know Christ personally. 

     I’ve been invited to join several Facebook ALS groups. Most people were there to support one another. Some are the PALS themselves, while others are family members. Others joined the group because a family member died from ALS. Some tried to bring awareness to the disease, while others raised money to find a cure.

     I follow a PAL on social media who's been a Hospice chaplain and resigned because he, too, had ALS. These people grew on me—I view them as family, though we haven’t met. We share a bond, a connection. It reminds me of the Christian body of believers.