When healing doesn't happen

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5: 15-16

A simple trip to the barber shop.  God knows exactly what he is doing. Something so ordinary as getting a haircut can turn into an opportunity to exchange faith stories. The gal that cut my hair asked me about my family. I said we had a son, a senior in high school, but that we also had a daughter. Part of me had wanted to say we had one son and leave it at that, but then I wouldn't be telling the truth.  Maria was part of our family for the first 10 years of her life and she left us with so many great memories. I knew I couldn't just not make any reference to her because I knew that she was alive and well in the place we all yearn to be in heaven.

She asked how many years was it and how did she die. The door had been opened and i knew I had to share my story which was that she had died the first night home from the hospital where she had had successful surgery to improve her mobility. She asked how she died and I shared about the dangers of Narcotic pain medication toxicity with some kids of certain ethnic groups. She asked when and I said 5 years ago.

The door was now fully open and she said that when she was 18 her 9 year old brother died after undergoing numerous surgeries over the years for a congenital condition. She said it was hard on her mom when he died.

Then we talked about how our faith has kept our families strong. She said she was a Christian. In both families our children were not healed in this life, but because of what  Jesus Christ did for us they were given brand new Spiritual bodies and for the first time are experiencing running and jumping without any impediment.   

As we listened to each other share I concluded that only God sees the total picture of our lives. The pain she faced when her younger brother died has given her the boldness to talk about her faith. Loss will do that to people.  People very often come to Christ when they hear a story about how Christ delivered them through the hardest, most difficult times of their lives. People are not impressed by stories of how God blessed them with a million dollars and a  brand new sports car, but people come to Christ when they learn about a difficult, unbearable situation that Christ brought them through. 

I couldn't help think how our conversation was impacting the other hair cutter in the store, or even the other customers waiting their turns.  We must never be ashamed of the gospel because we just never know the impact the word of God can have on someone's life.