This Sunday our beloved daughter-in-law, Melinda was called home to Jesus. We are grieving, but in this time we are trusting God. In these times of sorrow, where even simple conversation can become too painful, God often gives us a song. “It is Well” is for me the hymn that has been precious to my heart in those moments. Whatever you are facing today I pray it’s message may also give you peace and hope. Especially in our sorrows it is more true than ever that God is good all the time and in Jesus Christ, it is well with our soul.
God’s Hope
The Solid Rock
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 ESV
Back in 1976, I worked for a company in charge of tree trimming for Connecticut Light and Power. Though by then I had a few years of experience clearing the right-of-way, nothing prepared me for the devastation of Hurricane Belle. Huge oaks, ancient maples and towering pine trees were snapped off or uprooted and on top of the power lines for our entire region. Over the following week we would often drive our trucks into neighborhoods that had been without power for days where the people would come out and cheer, as if we were conquering heroes. But if they could have read our minds, they would have heard thoughts like, “What in the world are we going to do?” or ” How are we going to get this done without getting hurt?” We were facing a huge challenge, but Joshua was coming up against the even more overwhelming task of leading the people of Israel, into a battle of conquest for the land that God had promised them. Unknown enemies lay ahead, and the tombs of those who had disobeyed God in the wilderness lay behind. Now that Moses was dead Joshua was in charge, and maybe like me, he wondered what to do. He recalled that Moses had met God at the burning bush and spent forty days in the cloud of glory receiving the ten commandments, but all Joshua had done was to watch from a distance. How would he be able to do what God was asking of Him?
Sometimes I try to encourage people facing major challenges by saying, “God knows what you are going through.”; but while that is true, it misses the most important point. The reality, for those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus, is that God not only knows, what we are going through, but that He has planned for every step of our journey. Our real hope: is not that we can handle what lies ahead, but that God has promised to be with us and on that solid rock of God’s promise, we can be courageous, no matter what comes our way!
No More Cat-Scans!
I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 KJV
Our appointment last week was almost exactly six years to the day since Nancy’s cancer surgery. The prognosis back then for stage three ovarian cancer was not great, and as her chemo treatments began the following month, we knew we were sailing in uncharted waters. But day by day, as we walked together through the long years of changes and challenges God has been with us. That afternoon as we sat in the doctor’s office, we were hopeful but still nervous as we waited for his report. What would those numbers from the latest blood work be? What would he say? Then the door opened, the doctor walked in exchanged pleasantries, and then asked. “So how are you feeling? Any pain here? Any changes since our last visit?” He poked, prodded and listened to Nancy’s heartbeat and breathing with his stethoscope, then sitting down and pulling up the results of her tests on his computer, he spun it around for us to see. “You see, you have been staying in the normal range all this time (five years), he said pointing to a graph. “Sometimes they are a little up, sometimes down. Your Cat-scan back in December looked normal. You’re doing great!” Then he gave Nancy a reassuring smile, and we both breathed a giant sigh of relief. Though he had told us the very words we had prayed for and longed to hear, it was still so unreal.
Then I asked, “So when will she have to come back for the next Cat-scan?”
Looking back at me as if I hadn’t understood, the doctor shook his head, still smiling. “No – no more Cat-scans. Why should she get all that radiation over and over again when everything is normal. We’ll just keep an eye on the blood work and take it from there.” Now, six years since her surgery, after five months of chemotherapy, dozens of tests, images of all sorts it all came down to one phrase: “No more Cat-scans!” We both held back tears that afternoon as we walked out of the office, thankful for the goodness of God that has carried us through. Then as we stopped to check out at the desk, I saw that the lady at the checkout had put up a little sign that said, “Stressed spelled backwards is desserts!” After six years of stress, that has drawn us both closer to Jesus and closer to one another, we certainly were ready for desserts and understood a little of what David meant when he said, “I will bless the Lord at all times.” Some of our times had been good, some bad and a few, even downright terrifying. But through every moment, God has been with us. Of course, not every journey ends with the earthly results we hope for, and not every prognosis is rosy, but we have learned through every situation, that we can trust the Lord. He is faithful and kind, and our lives are in His hands. He knows what is to come and we trust Him because of all He has brought us through. “His praise shall continually be in my mouth!”
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