The fall and the cross

My student and friend, Rebecca, and her parents and brothers, have received the kind of news no one wants to hear: "There is nothing more we can do." Up in Denver Children's Hospital, they are living days that I can't even imagine; days filled with struggle and pain, sweet and precious memories, and exhaustion. And here in our town, some 8 hours away, all of us who know and love them are grieving with them.

These are the times when it is hard to miss the fact that God's ways are not our ways. That we don't understand His plan, nor His economy. We have to stand by faith on His promise that He is good because we do not always see it in our circumstances.

This morning one of the blogs I read regularly expressed this very thought. This man is a missionary pilot in Africa,recently in Kenya, but currently in the States as his father is battling leukemia. They recently were given the same news as Becca and her family: there is nothing more the doctors can do. He writes in part:

One afternoon in dad's hospital room, when he wasn't doing too well, mom was sitting by his bedside – scooted up as close as possible – tenderly holding his hand. We were all listening to the music I had set-up for dad as it played in an endless loop on an iPod and a dock:

"What can wash away my sin? What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood. Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Matt Redman was cranking out a particularly earthy and melodious version of the old hymn and mom was singing along. Her head was pressed down into dad's hand and tears rolled out of her eyes past his fingers to the sheets. I watched the spectacle in awe.

I could not articulated then, or now; but somewhere in that spectacle was the answer. The answer to the "problem" of pain. The answer to why God's ways are so unexpected. Even the answer to why dad had leukemia, and why we were now preparing to say goodbye. I saw a glimpse of the mystery that angels long to look into. A picture of the fall, and the cross, mingled together with tears and hope.

You can read the whole post here, and it is worth the reading.

Please pray for the Carlson family.