Friday, February 13, 2009

Friday February 13, 2009

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9.

Life is precarious, and facing our own death or that of another is the ultimate challenge. For most of us, death is the one final experience which can make us terrified for it reminds us of our own mortality. For those without some comfort regarding the next life, it is a taboo subject leading to avoidance or even denial of its reality. I recall visiting a funeral home in Vancouver many years ago and the room for viewing those ready for burial was called the “Slumber Room.” I think that says it all!

Even for Christians, death is not an easy transition from this life to the next especially for those left behind, and difficulties in relationships increase the trauma of parting. I wrote briefly a few days ago of a wife in the mission here whose husband’s mental health was deteriorating. We have known her for over a year and the problems go back further than that. About two weeks ago, the situation was so chaotic, she felt she had to leave the home. Yesterday her husband committed suicide.

We cannot know the pain this friend is going through. Apart from the loss, there are the personal recriminations: “what if . . . ?” “If only . . .” that will plague her, whether justified or not. Knowing her, the strength of her faith will eventually carry her through, but the immediate effects of this tragedy will take time to deal with. She has sympathetic friends in the mission who will stand by her, and prayer becomes a basic resource, for her and all of us. But above all, it is the promise that “the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” that will be her greatest reassurance.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Wednesday February 12, 2009

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12.

The cold is not subsiding, I still breathe through my mouth which dries out overnight and tastes like the bottom of a birdcage in the morning. But it is a reminder that every setback in life causes us to question our attitude to life and whether we are going in the right direction. Every day going the wrong way is wasted time. I remember in my architectural student days, we had to do some freehand drawing which I was not particularly fond of. The instructor reminded us that we were going to put two hours of our life on that paper, hours we would never have again.

Some say time is money, but in fact time is life. Money spent can—in theory at least—be replaced, but time wasted can never be restored; it’s gone forever. How many times have we heard of someone changing their whole attitude to life when it is threatened? Facing our mortality may be morbid for many but it is a corrective to our thinking about life and certainly teaches us “to number our days aright.” In fact, the closer age brings us to death the more critical it becomes to make all our moments worthwhile.

That’s probably why shortage of time promotes wisdom. Who really wants to look back on life lived at the bottom of a birdcage? The reverses of life, however unpleasant—and in my case a simple cold and impending surgery—are meant to make us aware of our eventual accountability. We may get away with a meaningless, selfish or even destructive existence in this life, but not in the next. Do let that cold—or whatever—get you down. It may make the difference to the rest of your life!
Wednesday February 11, 2009

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work . . . Exodus 35:35.

The greatest skill I have for yesterday and today is blowing my nose! I was hit with a heavy cold suddenly Monday night; I can only hope it goes as quickly as it came. It meant a trip to the store for boxes of tissues, always having one in reach, every job a burden and generally feeling sorry for myself. There is an old saying that you should feed a cold and starve a fever. My appetite has not diminished so I guess it is a cold not a fever and I’m not really ill!

Being loath to do anything I can put off, got me thinking about the many people that surround us that have skills and attributes that smooth our way. Some folk from the mission society offer to help us when the work becomes too heavy for us to handle and loaned us the mission van to ferry our family around. My sister and her niece have provided extra transport when necessary to get around. An old friend, Christine, kindly hosted our girls and their families for eight or nine days in her 300 year old cottage. Much of what we have accomplished is a result of the kindness and abilities of those around us for which we are extremely thankful.

So for now, I am going to sink into oblivion, learn to breathe through my mouth and generally milk this cold for all it’s worth. Ann is one who has many skills to help people out and I’m counting on her for comfort and support during the next few days. But I think her perceptiveness will set some appropriate limits on any subterfuge, particularly as we have a busy time for the weekend ahead and she is in the middle of a final paper for university.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Sunday February 8, 2009

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23.

These must be some of the greatest words ever penned, as Jeremiah faced Jerusalem devastated by war and he gazed on the misery around him. Recent pictures of Gaza give some idea, but in Jerusalem then, the extent of the desolation and lack of any humanitarian aid, caused women to eat their babies. So Jeremiah’s words were ether great foolishness or great faith. You have to decide. It’s easy to have faith in the good times, but the faith of many will be tested in the current economic turmoil. Rage against God or rest in him: what is your response?

Our time here in England with a missionary organization has made us some great friends. Some of the folk working here face the most difficult circumstances. One family faces the eventual death of their two sons as a result of a genetic disease. The father has already given one kidney to lengthen one son’s life. Another wife is dealing with the deteriorating mental stability of her husband which is creating chaos in the home. Yet in both instances, their outward demeanour shows nothing of the agony within. Is their dependence on God faith or folly?

The impending surgery for my prostate cancer that Ann and I face pales in comparison to the horrendous challenges others face. Yet every setback in life raises the same question: Am I willing to trust God to take me through? Will it drive me away from God or draw me closer to him? For Jeremiah and countless others in Scripture and down through the centuries, there was no other recourse. The one who created and cares for us; who became human and died for us, can be the only ultimate resource for our ills. Every other course is a dead end and makes no sense. Where else can we go but to the one who has life and eternity in his hands?