18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us Romans 8:18
A simple noontime trip to Costco lead me to a conversation with a grieving father. This dad started a hearing aid business in the Buffalo area years before that I often frequented because of his ethical and honesty with customers; something he was appalled with others who value making massive profits over helping their customers save money.
. When I saw him our conversation ventured on the topic of each of our kids. I, like an enthusiastic father, shared the news of my son. Then, I asked him about his kids. I noticed a slightly longer pause and hesitancy in his voice until he shared about the sudden loss of his youngest son.
He described getting the call from his daughter at 7:00 am on a Sunday morning. His son apparently was on pain medication for his hip pain and decided to go out with some friends for a few drinks. As a dad, he didn't have to say anything more about this loss for I knew the pain and what it is like to lose a child suddenly like this.
He said something I have heard echoed through the years, "there is no greater form of grief than for a parent to lose a child." He described how this type of loss affected each member of his family in different ways/
I've learned that life is not necessarily a conglomeration of 'joy' experiences where we spend happy times with friends always celebrating and never experiencing pain. Life is being willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus and walk alongside others who are suffering.
Just because we suffer in life does not mean that God has abandoned us; contrarily, some of our greatest 'joy' experiences in life flow out of our pain and suffering.
I ended the day exercising on my Schwinn Airdyne stationary bike while watching 'Miracles from heaven.'
This movie is about the faith of two 10 -year -old girls with life- threatening afflictions.One was miraculously healed when she fell down a hollow tree and had an out of body experience with Jesus Christ. The other girl was given the peace of God when she was reminded by the other little girl that God is with her. That young girl's dad flew down to Texas where he became a testimony of his now deceased daughter's faith in the final 2 weeks of her life.
This film illustrates all the miracles that we may not necessarily see every day, but when we examine our lives for those moments we have to see them as miracles because, simply, there is no other explanation.
I was reminded, once again, that God loves every one of us, and he hasn't abandoned us when pain and suffering come our way.
We may not necessarily see the big picture of our suffering, but by faith accept that God knows what he is dong with our lives, and in time will reveal to us how this suffering shapes our lives for the positive.
So, the next time you feel the incredible pain from your loss, just know that God is revealing little miracles to you as a reminder of his love during this season of your life.
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