Job 1:20-22, "Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshipped. And he said: Naked I came from my mothers 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."
In this first chapter of Job we see all of Job's possessions, wealth and children taken from him. Satan is the perpetrator, but God has allowed it. Many times when horrific tragedy strikes, we look for someone to blame, even God many times. We all have cried out "why me Lord" before, seeking understanding to a painful experience. Job here stands as an example to all of us in how we should respond to tragedy. In spite of his loss and pain, and in concert with his mourning(tearing his robe and shaving his head), Job still found it within him to worship God. He realized all he had was from God, and instead of cursing or blaming God, he sought comfort in the Almighty Lord of his life.
This past Sunday one of our church members was so excited. Her first great-grandchild was about to be born. She even joked with me how lucky I was she was there with this impending birth on the way. This woman is a strong person, but she was about to find her strength and her faith tested in a way she could never have imagined.
The baby was slow in coming and the rest of the day Sunday went without the birth occurring. This woman spent the night at the house of her daughter(the future grandmother) while another daughter also stayed there that night. The following morning, this woman, tried to wake the daughter(not the future grandmother). She was always a hard sleeper so when she did not wake immediately, not much was thought of it. But after time this woman went in to stir her, and she did not respond. 911 was called and CPR was performed, but the daughter had passed in her sleep at age 43, leaving 3 teenage children.
I was called and went to the family. The situation was one like I'd never really encountered. On one hand, was the anticipatory joy for the expectation of this new baby. On the other was the horrific heartbreak over the loss of a beloved daughter, sister, mother and friend. The emotional pendulum was unlike any I'd ever experienced. My heart broke for this family. What do you say? How can you explain this? Why Lord, why? As family and friends mourned, I found myself being extremely blessed by this family. There was no one blaming God. Sure they wondered why God had chosen this time for their beloved, but what permeated the people here was a faith like Job's. They worshipped God in their trust for his will, and praised Him for the life of the this greatly loved lady. They responded with a faith that surely pleases God, as it rests upon trusting His perfect will, even if we don't understand it.
Later in the day after a visit to another church member in the hospital in Florence, I went by the hospital in Hartsville where the expectant mother was still in labor. Here once again family and friends showed a faith that inspires the soul. I found myself again blessed and praising God for His grace in sorrow, and His provision during a time of need. If ever there has been a more welcome baby on this earth, I do not know of it. From the despair of the morning and death, to the glory of the evening and new life, these people had ridden a roller coaster of emotions, never once flinching in their belief that God is in control and His will is perfect.
One of the things about God is we are not promised an answer to all of life's questions here on earth. I believe with all of my heart, that for the Christian, learning to fully trust God, especially during times we cannot understand, is the most difficult part of the Christian walk. Yesterday I witnessed that sort of trust. It's really a supernatural thing, as in our own power we are not capable of it. But through the power of God and His Holy Spirit, we can endure, worship and rejoice in Him, through good times and bad.
Difficult days are still ahead for these people, but so are joyous ones. I'm thankful I was able to share in their witness, for it was powerful. And while my heart breaks for them, I rejoice in the promises of our all powerful God, that this is but a temporary separation. The Lord sure took away, and He gave in a mighty way. Through it all, "Blessed be the name of the Lord" was the testimony of this family. Amen, and praise Him!
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