A few months ago, Pete and I were on vacation when I learned that a missionary friend who lived near us in Africa had died. News of her death came just a few days after receiving word of another acquaintance passing. I was both sad and introspective as I reflected on this sudden and unexpected news.
Each day is a gift not to be taken for granted. We should not expect to have another, yet we do.
We have expectations.
Life does not come with guarantees. But what we can know is
that God has each of our days accounted for (Psalm 139:16) even though He has
not revealed that number to us.
Why has He not?
·
Maybe so we will value each day as though it is
our last - because it certainly could be!
·
Perhaps so we will use every opportunity to give
voice to our faith – to tell others – since we cannot know if we will ever engage
one another in conversation again.
·
Perhaps to encourage us to maintain right
relationships with others – to right wrongs and, as much as it depends on us, to
live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)
·
Maybe to heighten awareness of our own mortality, so we make certain of our eternal destiny.
·
Maybe so that we don’t leave important things
undone, and so that we leave behind a legacy of faithfulness.
·
Maybe to prevent us getting bogged down with what
is temporary, while forgetting what is permanent and eternal.
·
Maybe so that we don’t dwell on the wrong
things, to the detriment of the right things.
More recently there was another death, this time it was a very close friend of mine, one of a small group of women friends, sisters really, that met together regularly for over twenty years.
While she was sick we prayed.
When she went into the hospital we prayed.
When she was in ICU we prayed.
We began praying for a miracle. And we weren’t the only ones. Many were praying, beseeching God on her behalf.
When she passed away, I grieved and wrote this in
my journal.
I asked God for
a miracle. It seems that He said, “No.”
He did the
total opposite of what I asked Him for.
But then again-
Perhaps He did
the miracle I wanted - just in the way that He deemed best.
Maybe the
miracle is in taking her home to Heaven, rather than leaving her here with us.
Maybe the
miracle is in the healing of her cancer before she needed chemo.
Maybe the miracle
is that He spared her from future suffering by taking her to glory.
Maybe the
miracle is what He’ll do in the hearts of those who love her as He teaches us
to trust Him -even when we don’t understand it - or like it.
Maybe the
miracle is in the knowing that we are loved SO much by God that He does NOT
give us what we think we want -
That He says
“No” to our requests when He has something better in mind – even when we cannot
see it.
I don’t see it
yet.
Help me, God,
just to trust you.
It seems I’m
still learning.
Blessings,
Ruth
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are they who
mourn for they shall be comforted.”
