Here I am - a women who believes with all of her heart everything about God that I know and have learned over the years. So when a tragedy struck my friend and she loses her only child (only 6 years old), I start to wonder how and why. Then I start to walk around in some kind of fog and in some sort of daze as I question what has really just happened to my friend and to her family. I start to feel as if I don't even know who I am anymore.
Basically my friend's precious 6 year old son went to his friend's house (who was only 7) for his birthday. The mom was going to take them to the movies that evening. When my friend couldn't get in touch with the mom, she called the police (around midnight Friday night). The police met her and her husband at the friend's house . The police brought a dog with them to pick up the scent in hopes of finding something, and they were led to a pond that had frozen over behind their home. When the police officer shined his light on the pond, there was a hole in the ice. Their hearts sank. The fire department and divers were dispatched on the scene and after several hours they brought out the two boys and the mom's body. The police said the mom must have tried to jump in to save them and she drowned as well.
Did God abandon them? Should we just accept this as a part of life? Do we just suck it up even though our hearts are broken? After a while this begins to even work on our confidence in God. We know that we are important to God, but LIFE has a way of chipping those beliefs away, toiling with our mind and our emotions, leaving us to question things that we should already know the answers to. We may even feel that it is our fault somehow and think about ways that we could have done better, or that we could have made this not happen or even ways to change what has happened.
Life is truly a battlefield. I pray that you never have to experience the nightmare my friend is living through right now. It feels like sometimes when we get knocked off our balance by this wave, the minute we stand up another one hits us and the wipeout is even more severe the second time than it was the first. Sometimes you feel that you can't even catch your breath. You may even ask yourself that if God truly is a good God and if He is in charge, then why? Why did this have to happen? Why to such an innocent child and family? Why Lord? Why?
After the many tears and praying, I decided to research this thing called tragedy and why it happens to so many of God's people. I was led to this verse:
John 10:10
"THE THIEF COMES ONLY TO STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY; I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL......."
We are at WAR!! We just don't get it in this life. There is a spiritual battle involving all the forces of Heaven and hell, and it is being played out right here before our very eyes on Earth.
These are desperate times which call for desperate faith. Faith in ourselves or others is meaningless and will lead us to disappointment and loss, but putting your faith, putting my faith, in an all-knowing, all-powerful God means everything.
If you don't remember anything from this post, remember this always: HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER. No matter if you lose a child, a spouse, a friend, a parent, your health, your job, your home, your marriage, or whatever else that life throws our way sometimes, FAITH has to be the center...the very CORE of our lives. Faith is what pleases God.
Look at Hebrews 11:6:
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
When tragedy strikes in our lives, no matter what it might be, hit the floor on your knees and cry out to God. Place your faith in him, and He will strengthen you. But remember that if you try to handle things on your own and with your own strength, you will be weak and lost.
I challenge you this week no matter what your burdens are, to give them to God and memorize this scripture:
Matthew 11: 28-30
"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I can't imagine being paralyzed by the kind of circumstances my friend is enduring at this time. I know my faith would be challenged. I think the hardest thing for me is knowing that I can't just put on my "fix it hat" on and "fix" this for her. I want to erase the whole thing as if it never happened and make her pain go away. There are so many of us that are so desperate for a healing, and not just a physical healing, but emotional healing, religious healing, mental and financial healings, the list can go on. We must keep the faith. This path is not easy and God never promised us that it would be. But He did send His only son to die for us and take the sins of the world so that we would have everlasting life. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. I praise Him today that life does not end here. We have a citizenship to another place called Heaven.
Father I beg you to move on Deena's behalf today. Help her Father to keep the faith. Lord, you gave us emotions and as certain ones arise in Deena as she grieves over the loss of her only son, be there for her Father, to hold her in your arms. You know Father what it is like to lose a child, to give up a Son. You have felt her pain Lord. Please give her peace and heal her broken heart. You are a mighty God. She needs to draw off of your strength. Be her refuge Father. This is a sad time in her life. Tuck her under your wings of refuge. I praise you Father that you have us in the palm of your hands. Thank you Jesus for the veil being torn so that we have direct access to you.
Trying to keep the faith in all of this world's devastation,
Robbie
