I have wanted to write about this for a couple weeks, but I just
couldn’t find the words. Finally this
past weekend, the Lord began to put my thoughts together so I could share them
with you.
On Sunday September 20th, we met our daughter, son-in-law and
grandson for lunch after church. When we
left the restaurant, my husband and I talked about whether we would go home or
go to the hospital to see a friend of ours, Ray, who was facing a serious
surgery.
To be honest, I wanted to go home. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see him, but
I was tired and really just wanted to go home and vegetate. It had been a long week and I desperately
needed a nap. I also was concerned that
since it was a Sunday afternoon, he would have lots of visitors and it would be
too much for him. We went back and forth
trying to decide what to do and finally came to the conclusion that we should
head for the hospital.
We entered his room and were surprised to find him all
alone. Some of his family had just left
and so he seemed happy to see us walk in.
We greeted him and told him that we were sorry that he had to go through
this. His immediate response was,
“Really, it’s ok. The One who created me
knows all about me and I know I’m in His hands.
I have peace about this and I’m just trusting Him.”
Wow. It’s so much easier
to say that we would have peace if we were faced with difficult situations when
things are going well, but to hear someone say those words when he is in the
middle of scary circumstances, really spoke to me. What followed was an inspiring visit as he
shared more details of his life with us and we left so thankful that we had
decided to visit him.
Little did we know that just a few days later, on September
25th, Ray would meet his Creator face to face.
When we received word of his passing, all I could think of were his
words of peace the Sunday before. He
knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his God was bigger than anything he would
face and that all he had to do was put his trust in Him.
Fast forward to this past weekend when I was reading in a book
that a friend had recommended. The
writer, a woman who was brutally raped at the age of 15 shared these words,
“Although I knew God, a tragedy like this made me experience God. In Job 42:5, Job said, ‘I have heard of You
by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You.’”
My thoughts immediately went to Ray. He didn’t just know his God when difficult
times came…he experienced his God. He
felt Him…He heard Him…He trusted Him and again, he experienced Him. This didn’t just happen after the health
issue arose, it began during the good times when Ray walked with His God day in
and day out. Because of this when
trouble did arise, he was already in step with his Creator and could rest in
His care.
What an awesome reminder this has been for me to make sure that
I am always seeking a closer relationship with the One who created me. Every minute of every day, I need to walk in
step with my God and be solely focused on Him.
That way, when trials and temptations come, it will be completely
natural for me to trust Him.
We went to the hospital that day thinking we were going to bless
Ray and walked out realizing we were the ones who had been blessed. That’s what happens when you are in the
presence of a true follower of God. May
each of us seek to be that kind of a light to the dark world in which we
live.
“I
have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
but
now my eye sees You.”
Job
42:5
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