Change in a Week (Feb 17 - Feb 24)

Every person in the world has dealt with (or will deal with) the issue of suffering at some point in their lives. What we do in the midst of that suffering is what distinguishes us as Christians.

Sitting in BSU during at Noonday on Feb 17, 2010, I was sorta dealing with that issue. My mom had been battling cancer for almost a year and our hopes were up about it. Even when she got the report that the cancer had spread 40% in one month our hopes were still up because we knew the God of the Bible could remove it if it was in His will. The speaker that day talked about Job. After hearing all his possessions were lost and children were dead, this is what follows in Chapter 1:

"Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.' In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong."
Job 1:20-22 (emphasis added)

I thought about these verses Wednesday and eventually took a nice long walk around campus that night (which is an amazing thing to do to clear your head, think, pray, etc...). First off, how could Job fall to the ground and worship after everything he had was lost and his children were killed? How could he not charge God with wrong when that is the natural thing for humans to do under the circumstances? How could God do this to Job?

Probably what spurred on the extra thinking about these verses was the fact that I found out my mom had been put in the hospital that evening and I knew little details, although I did not get the impression that it was something big at the time.

Well then came the day that would change my life forever, Feb 18, 2010, my mom's 50th birthday. I found at at approximately 6:30 am that my mom's condition had gotten worse that night and left for Memphis after a long ordeal around 10 am. Arriving shortly after lunch, I got to the hospital and saw my mom. She was unable to talk but seemed to recognize that I was there. I then found out she did not have long to live (5 minutes till the next morning). She passed away shortly after 4pm with my sister, her husband, her mother, and myself standing around her. It seemed like she went from doing pretty good to not good at all in 2 weeks. Everything happened so fast.

Over the next couple of days, I pondered many things. How could this have happened? Why did this have to happen to such a good lady? What next? And then I began thinking of the verses in Job that I had been thinking about that Wednesday. All the time spent with my mom was now seen as a blessing and I knew because of my mom's faith that she was no longer suffering. I was able to praise God because of my mother's life and all that she taught me. I even realized that as strange as it sounds, her death could bring about change in people's lives for the better. The visitation came that Saturday. It was really strange. I shed some tears. I knew my mother was dead but I had such a feeling of joy in the midst of sadness. I do not know how to explain it. I found myself comforting the people paying their last respects more than they were comforting me. It seemed really strange. And then came the funeral the next day. A similar thing occurred. I was saddened by everything, but I had an indescribable joy knowing my mom was in heaven singing and in no more pain. I actually shed only a few tears in the service, when I was expecting to shed the most there. What in the world was going on?

After much thinking, I have come to this conclusion. It was the first time I had to deal with the issue of suffering as an adult. The message at Noonday that Wednesday prepared me to deal with what would happen the very next day. Without that message, I believe that I would not have been able to feel joyful in the midst of suffering. I finally had realized that while we all will deal with suffering in our life, our strength comes from the Lord and He can get us through the suffering, just as He got me through everything that happened that very long week. Through everything, I have been able to say, "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24) and I hope that you will be able to rejoice in all circumstances and situations in your life. The principle learned this past week has really changed my life.