Three options

Earlier this week, I talked about how, in 2002, the Ferguson family was plunged into an unexpected ordeal when Rick’s Earthly life ended after a car accident.  This news rocked everyone because of the suddenness of it.  Rick was only 46 years old.  I’ve been thinking about this episode because of the similarities to the road the Bauer family is now walking.  To cite another example of this, both my dad and Rick Ferguson had their “homecoming” (as we like to call it) in July.

I have in my possession the CD of Rick Ferguson’s Memorial Service.  Listening to it again has helped me in my grieving process.  Brett Ferguson, Rick’s oldest son, delivered a message on that day that I’m certain helped many people.  He said many useful things, but I want to share one quote in particular.  Here’s what he said:

“[There are] three options.  There are three ways you can look at what happened Thursday [July 25th, 2002].  You can say it was an accident.  If there is a god, he’s not in control.  Tragic things happen in life.  Dad was here, he lived a great life, and now he’s gone.  It’s too bad.  It’s hard to make sense out of that [option].  You could say, “It wasn’t an accident, it was an attack from Satan.”  Dad was doing good things and Satan just took him.  Well, that leaves God pretty impotent, doesn’t it?

Or a third option: a beautiful [and] glorious appointment.  God is in Heaven.  He knows what is going on.  When [for example] Dad was hit by a car at age 13, God breathed life into him, because He knew that his appointment wasn’t until last Thursday [July 25, 2002].  So it’s up to you, you can look at this at any of those three ways.  I’m going to choose to look at this as an appointment.  Because I believe that God is sovereign [that is, that He is in complete control].”

I am with Brett.  Death is not a random, arbitrary event.  Nor is death a satanic attack.  Don’t forget that God is much more powerful than Satan.  For example, in the book of Job, God gives Satan the green light to afflict Job, but He tells the devil that he must spare Job’s life. Whether he liked it or not, Satan had to comply with God’s command.

Psalm 139:16 is a verse that is a tremendous comfort.  It reads, “Your eyes saw me when I was still an unformed child.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book before one of them had taken place” (GWT).  Even before my dad was born God knew when his “homecoming” was going to be.  We don’t live a day longer or a day shorter than what God ordained.

Kevin