A little boy that we were praying for lost his fight this week. This is a sad time for everyone that knew him or knew of him. We were hoping that a miracle would take place. It seems so unfair for this to happen to children. We wrestle with this news and the seemingly conflicting reports of a good and loving God. There are life events that will never take place now. Dreams for his life that are shattered and crushed. Parents’ hearts are breaking and snow is falling from heaven. As if life should just go on, and time is not an enemy. Although this happens many times over every day, it is never easy to take in. The Giver of Life, has not done so this time. Only the time he had spent with his family remains now. Memories, not all bad, but memories just the same. There was never a time when he was without the sickness, never a time without the need for a miracle. Surely, this family needs our prayers during this time of loss and mourning. They are walking through the valley, the shadow of death encompasses them. But God is there in the midst. Comforting, upholding them, and cloaking them with His Unfailing Love. His kindness in this incomprehensible situation lifts them above the floodwaters of sorrow. He will carry them through this.
As we know, death is not the end, but for those of us who remain, it is the elephant in the room. They say that time heals all wounds, but we know that not to be true. Time may be the salve we need, but the wounds are always there. Sometimes intense, sometime less, but never truly forgotten. This world will not let us forget.
My wife and I attended a celebration of life for a little girl several years ago. There was an unfortunate accident and the casket was so small. More dreams that would never materialize, never come true. There were so many that came out in love and support of the family that the line to see them and pay respects was wrapped around the funeral home. These friends were good people. They did not deserve this.
This seems to be the one death that rocks every one of us—that a child has died. We wrestle with the Why?, And For What Purpose?, And Why did He not Heal? A God who Loves us and especially little ones, but somehow can’t manage to bring healing to them. We understand about those who have lived a long and full life and pass away unhealed. It is expected. But this; this is the kind that we want answers for! A God who is Mighty to Save and a Compassionate Healer, but does not heal us all. There must be a purpose behind the sadness. A beauty to be exchanged for our tears. As we struggle to make sense, as we wrestle with images of healing and the children Jesus healed in the Bible, we are perplexed. If not this child, why? If it can be only some that get healed, why not this little one? We wonder if we are being selfish in this, to have this child healed at the cost of another who won’t be. Can we trade the life of another for this one? Can you take mine to let a child live? But you gave Yours, so that this child will live forever in eternity.
Trying to find someone to blame is not easy, so God usually gets it. It must be His fault. But this is a complicated issue. A Good God, a fallen man and death enters the world by the means of man’s disobedience. An extra player behind the scenes. An enemy, a foil, a devourer who wants to kill, harm and destroy. Wants to take our focus off of a Holy and Just God, who Loved us enough to purchase us back, to redeem us from the fallen state we are in. What God allows versus what Satan desires. Behind the scenes and behind the curtain, the easier One to blame, may not be the one that we should question. It seems that the Evil One has a lot of explaining to do. No love in his heart and so he wants to kill every one of us.
I have to believe that the One who wept at the loss of His friend Lazarus, is with us when we grieve as well. Nowhere in Scripture does it talk about our common Enemy, being a sympathizer and empathizer of us. So if we can’t get our questions answered here, in this lifetime, maybe we can just fall back into the arms of the One who holds all things together. The One who holds us together as we are falling apart. Who comforts us as we mourn. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
In His Word, The Savior tells us that He is not without compassion and empathy. For He gave His Only Son to Die for us. The Father’s heart was broken just as ours is. He lost His child too. A Parent who both loved but gave away the Life of His Child, in order to one day correct and renovate this fallen world. Then there will be a wiping away of our tears. A healing for all of the wounds that we received in this broken place. A righting of all of the wrongs. A beauty for the ashes left in our hands. A Life that will Never End. No more sickness, sadness, or sting of death. All that is wrong now will be crushed and defeated forever!
As we know, death is not the end, but for those of us who remain, it is the elephant in the room. They say that time heals all wounds, but we know that not to be true. Time may be the salve we need, but the wounds are always there. Sometimes intense, sometime less, but never truly forgotten. This world will not let us forget.
My wife and I attended a celebration of life for a little girl several years ago. There was an unfortunate accident and the casket was so small. More dreams that would never materialize, never come true. There were so many that came out in love and support of the family that the line to see them and pay respects was wrapped around the funeral home. These friends were good people. They did not deserve this.
This seems to be the one death that rocks every one of us—that a child has died. We wrestle with the Why?, And For What Purpose?, And Why did He not Heal? A God who Loves us and especially little ones, but somehow can’t manage to bring healing to them. We understand about those who have lived a long and full life and pass away unhealed. It is expected. But this; this is the kind that we want answers for! A God who is Mighty to Save and a Compassionate Healer, but does not heal us all. There must be a purpose behind the sadness. A beauty to be exchanged for our tears. As we struggle to make sense, as we wrestle with images of healing and the children Jesus healed in the Bible, we are perplexed. If not this child, why? If it can be only some that get healed, why not this little one? We wonder if we are being selfish in this, to have this child healed at the cost of another who won’t be. Can we trade the life of another for this one? Can you take mine to let a child live? But you gave Yours, so that this child will live forever in eternity.
Trying to find someone to blame is not easy, so God usually gets it. It must be His fault. But this is a complicated issue. A Good God, a fallen man and death enters the world by the means of man’s disobedience. An extra player behind the scenes. An enemy, a foil, a devourer who wants to kill, harm and destroy. Wants to take our focus off of a Holy and Just God, who Loved us enough to purchase us back, to redeem us from the fallen state we are in. What God allows versus what Satan desires. Behind the scenes and behind the curtain, the easier One to blame, may not be the one that we should question. It seems that the Evil One has a lot of explaining to do. No love in his heart and so he wants to kill every one of us.
I have to believe that the One who wept at the loss of His friend Lazarus, is with us when we grieve as well. Nowhere in Scripture does it talk about our common Enemy, being a sympathizer and empathizer of us. So if we can’t get our questions answered here, in this lifetime, maybe we can just fall back into the arms of the One who holds all things together. The One who holds us together as we are falling apart. Who comforts us as we mourn. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
In His Word, The Savior tells us that He is not without compassion and empathy. For He gave His Only Son to Die for us. The Father’s heart was broken just as ours is. He lost His child too. A Parent who both loved but gave away the Life of His Child, in order to one day correct and renovate this fallen world. Then there will be a wiping away of our tears. A healing for all of the wounds that we received in this broken place. A righting of all of the wrongs. A beauty for the ashes left in our hands. A Life that will Never End. No more sickness, sadness, or sting of death. All that is wrong now will be crushed and defeated forever!
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