How can this be anything but devastating? What possible good can come from this? How can all those prayers, those pleas for mercy and healing go unanswered? How can a family suffer so?
"How long, O Lord? Will you forget us forever? How long will you hide your face...How long must we wrestle with our thoughts and every day have sorrow in our hearts...?"
We know that if the Psalmist, a man after God's own heart, can express anger and frustration, that we can as well. It is without fear that we rail against this pain and what feels like complete injustice and silence from God.
"Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
She had hard days. Her beloved husband has been progressively and devastatingly ill with ALS for over twenty years. She cared for his physical needs, and he cared for her emotional needs. As we have watched his body weaken, we have watched his spirit strengthen. Why must he live out his days without her? Why must her sons?
Hearts are broken. Friends are grieving. A circle of family is breaking. We do not know why. Some of us will having difficulty knowing where to turn in the next few days. Most of us will go to the only place we know; to our God - the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Even as we question, we say: "...I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."
We are confused, hurt, and, yes, angry; still we will "give praise to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." We will walk through the next days and weeks and months and years, believing that He walks with us and grieves with us. We will struggle to live that out for each other.
We pray that she will go gently, and that soon she will have complete joy and rest and healing. We choose, in faith, to believe "the Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace"
So for all of us who weep today, I pray blessings
It was so hard for me to sing some of those songs yesterday. I just cannot understand. If it were someone I didn't know, I could more easily say that this is not the end - that she will be free from all the burdens she carried, for herself and her family. And that is all true. But because it's my friend - because I'm scared of what will happen to those left behind - I'm struggling so much.
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