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Sunday, July 20, 2008

HIV/AIDS.. what do I know of it?

Nothing I guess.

Today Rev Bruce Sonnenberg (Ed of HIV Hope USA) stirred the hearts of many people when he spoke of his experience with having HIV+ members in his church. He WAS of the opinion that AIDS has nothing to do with him, it's a self inflicted disease and they got what they deserved... he held that opinion until God opened his heart and showed him that no matter what kind of disease a person has, God still love him or her.

He preached of the tsunami of AIDS that was hitting the world and some questions that many would ask.

1. How would Jesus respond to someone with HIV?
He would be compassionate (Luke 5:12-13)

2. How would Jesus see HIV and AIDS?
He would see it as an opportunity - for God to show his mercy (Isaiah 40:29-31)

At the end of the service, he asked Jennifer, who was tested HIV+ 11 years ago, to step out from her seat and if anyone cared to hug her, please come forward to do so. Many people, men and women came forward with tears in their eyes, hugged her. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. I was having a bad cough and runny nose.

It was so touching. She told us that she just went for her check-up that Monday and the doctor exclaimed that she was just like a normal healthy person, in fact her immunity system was even better than a non-HIV+ person. Praise God.

BTW,She is blessed with a loving husband. :)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this. Once your cold is gone, come over to my clinic and help me hug some of them. :)

euniceta said...

Would love to, especially if they don't feel weird getting hugs from a stranger. :)