Many times I am left in wonder as to why is it easier to believe something that is intangible than something that is tangible or semi tangible. At least this is the case with me.
Let me explain.
I find that it is easier to believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, rose on the third day, ascended into heaven and will be coming back to establish His kingdom. I find it easier to believe that the work He did on the cross, in the grave and rising from the dead paid for my sins and gave me the power to be now called a daughter of God. Why, then, is it hard to trust Him, to have faith that He works everything for good and His glory, when it comes to those I love? Why is it that I have to try to do something, try to uncover some hidden meaning in His words, or just try to 'help' Him when it comes to my loved ones?
Last week I had to make a most excruciating decision: End the life of a most beloved friend. A faithful friend. One who loved me even when I was not loveable. One who was always happy to see me, even if it had been a mere 5 minutes from the last time he had seen me. Always wagging his tail. Following me everywhere. And it was this beautiful friend whose life I had to end. The cancer had taken over his mandible, bleeding, not letting him enjoy what he enjoyed the most: food. He would starve to death. And all this time, with pain and all, he would bark to protect those he loved when someone came to the door. As if this whole scene was not painful already, I struggled to believe what would happen to him when he left this dimension.
He clearly wasn't a doll or a teddy bear; he had personality. He was affectionate. He could be happy. He could be sad. He preferred company. What would happen to him when he breathed his last? Why was it hard for me to trust a good God with his life? Why could I not trust that He had my friend's life in His hands, just like He does everyone else's?
There is so much more to say, but I will not make this post longer.
I had come to a fork on the road: Believe or Perish. You see, when I came to this fork on the road for my sins, I chose to believe. Now I had to make the same choice with my friend's being.
It all boiled down to this: Do I believe that God is good? Do I believe that He is sovereign? Do I believe that He is the author of life?
Just like Peter, I arrived at the same conclusion: Only You, Lord, have the words of eternal life. To whom else can I go? Who can I trust with the being of my friend?
There are only two options: My friend disintegrated into thin air when he breathed his last...or God, as the author of life and being the very essence of love, has him (because He loves him more than I ever could, because He created him). I don't know what that looks like - but I know that there will be animals in heaven (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25) and these creatures will speak in heaven (Revelation 5:13).
So this is where the rubber met the road for this particular path: Where do I turn to? I have nowhere else to go but to God, for He alone is the author of life, He is love, and He is sovereign.
Faith is...where the rubber meets the road; where there is something much greater and way beyond the pain we face today. It takes time to reach this point...well, it took me some time to get here.
I pray we all choose life, hope, and love.
Let me explain.
I find that it is easier to believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, rose on the third day, ascended into heaven and will be coming back to establish His kingdom. I find it easier to believe that the work He did on the cross, in the grave and rising from the dead paid for my sins and gave me the power to be now called a daughter of God. Why, then, is it hard to trust Him, to have faith that He works everything for good and His glory, when it comes to those I love? Why is it that I have to try to do something, try to uncover some hidden meaning in His words, or just try to 'help' Him when it comes to my loved ones?
Last week I had to make a most excruciating decision: End the life of a most beloved friend. A faithful friend. One who loved me even when I was not loveable. One who was always happy to see me, even if it had been a mere 5 minutes from the last time he had seen me. Always wagging his tail. Following me everywhere. And it was this beautiful friend whose life I had to end. The cancer had taken over his mandible, bleeding, not letting him enjoy what he enjoyed the most: food. He would starve to death. And all this time, with pain and all, he would bark to protect those he loved when someone came to the door. As if this whole scene was not painful already, I struggled to believe what would happen to him when he left this dimension.
He clearly wasn't a doll or a teddy bear; he had personality. He was affectionate. He could be happy. He could be sad. He preferred company. What would happen to him when he breathed his last? Why was it hard for me to trust a good God with his life? Why could I not trust that He had my friend's life in His hands, just like He does everyone else's?
There is so much more to say, but I will not make this post longer.
I had come to a fork on the road: Believe or Perish. You see, when I came to this fork on the road for my sins, I chose to believe. Now I had to make the same choice with my friend's being.
It all boiled down to this: Do I believe that God is good? Do I believe that He is sovereign? Do I believe that He is the author of life?
Just like Peter, I arrived at the same conclusion: Only You, Lord, have the words of eternal life. To whom else can I go? Who can I trust with the being of my friend?
There are only two options: My friend disintegrated into thin air when he breathed his last...or God, as the author of life and being the very essence of love, has him (because He loves him more than I ever could, because He created him). I don't know what that looks like - but I know that there will be animals in heaven (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25) and these creatures will speak in heaven (Revelation 5:13).
So this is where the rubber met the road for this particular path: Where do I turn to? I have nowhere else to go but to God, for He alone is the author of life, He is love, and He is sovereign.
Faith is...where the rubber meets the road; where there is something much greater and way beyond the pain we face today. It takes time to reach this point...well, it took me some time to get here.
I pray we all choose life, hope, and love.
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