The fragile gift of life

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the events of this year, it is that you should never take the gift of life for granted.  Contrary to popular opinion, we are not guaranteed tomorrow.  Cherish each day for the incredible gift that it is.  James tells us not to boast about what you are going to do tomorrow, because you don’t really have any idea what is going to happen tomorrow (James 4:13-14).

It’s so true!  I’ve used this quote several times before, but I think it bears repeating: Peter Parker, in the throes of a crisis, said, “Life is like a thunderstorm.  It’s unpredictable, uncontrollable, sometimes even dangerous.  We like to think we have a handle on life; that we are in charge.  Then, without warning, we find out how wrong we really are.”

The unpredictability of life was evidenced in the lives of my parents when I developed Infantile Spasms as a baby.  For months, they endured the dark season of watching me endure this debilitating disease.  Being not even a year old at the time, I don’t have the memory of these events, so I can only imagine how horrible it must have been to watch their boy suffer.  I’m certain that it was torture for them.

You say, “But that’s not the end of the story.  God healed that boy.”  That’s right.  On this day, back in 1982, God healed me of that devastating disease.  I don’t want to gloss over this fact, either.  So let me linger a moment to brag on God.  I’ve often said that, as far as I’m concerned, this day is more important than my birthday in June because it broadcasts God’s amazing power, kindness, and grace.  To quote the way my dad once described the events of that day: “We didn’t do it; the doctor didn’t do it; God did it.”  Amen!  To Him belongs all the glory and praise!

But, the truth is, sometimes God doesn’t choose to heal.  You can pray, fast, and plead with the Lord for that healing, but it may not necessarily happen.  That makes the harsh reality of life hit you like a punch in the stomach.  Let’s be real: it’s easy when life is comfortable and easy, but to quote Job – a man who also knows something about pain – “shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).

I have little doubt that someone recently started reading my words for the very first time because the bottom just dropped out of your life.  Your world fell apart in a way you never thought it would.  I know the feeling.  Thanks to the unexpected passing of my father, I am now intimately familiar with pain, suffering, and heartache in a way that I never was before.  I know full well that, to quote our friend Job again, sometimes the Lord gives, and sometimes He takes away (Job 1:21).

What do you do when suffering comes in like a violent tidal wave?  How do you endure when pain is your constant companion?  Do you chock it up to chance, bad luck, or an unfortunate accident?  I can’t answer these questions for you.  I recently heard Cheryl Prewitt say in a Christian program, in times of tragedy, one can either blame God or trust Him.  In my case, I choose to put my trust in God, because He is sovereign and trustworthy.  The Bible speaks of “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19).  In times of trouble, you need an anchor that is firm and secure.  That anchor is God Himself.  You can search, but there is no other anchor.  Nothing else is sufficient.

Kevin