Thursday, August 19, 2010
Contemplating "life as a vapor" and Eternal Healing
As I blogged a while back, a friend of mine, Jordan Schroeder, passed away at 25. We were only a few days apart in age. Prior to his visitation, the last time I had seen Jordan we were playing basketball and he was the best player on the court, by far. He is now in heaven. It made an impact on me that I hope I never forget. The heartache of the entire situation will probably never go away for those close to him, yet there was an incredible message of faith and trust and a declaration of the goodness of God. God healed Jordan, and the family will heal as well. Praise God!
A week ago I received a link to news articles from my "big brother" Peter Kim describing an attack on Christian aid workers in Afghanistan. 10 were killed. For no reason. Peter and Robin Kim (aka my bro and sis in Indy) knew a teammate of this ministry and for days didn't know if she was included. They later found out she was not in that group, but the faith of those who perished for their faith was proclaimed by those who knew them. Praise God!
Last weekend I received an email from a friend who wanted to share an amazing story of Healing. the blog: asformeandmine.blogspot shares the story of baby Gavin born at 24 weeks, overcoming the odds and surviving and growing. The story of this couple, and their steadfast faith, inspired me. God has so recently been showing me the frailty of life through death. I was beginning to grasp the "eternal" healing aspect of God's goodness yet had forgotten that at times there is physical healing on this earth. Praise God!
Monday it became real again. I received a text from a friend in Jamaica, Tashi Bent, that her father had passed away at 8am. Back on June 7 I had blogged briefly about meeting Trevor, her father, and requested your prayers. Although I do ask that you continue to pray for them as they grieve and process, I can't help but get back to what I learned in Jordan's fight with battle. There is healing. Eternally. Forever. Praise God! (visit my teammates blog, plattnerfamily.blogspot.com as Kirk wrote a nice entry about this man of God)
Two days ago I received an email from friends who are missionaries in Argentina. Their 12 wk old baby (she was in her pregnancy) had only grown to be the size of a 8-9 wk old baby and there was NO heartbeat. The baby was no longer living. They will undergo some type of procedure to remove the baby in the coming days. Their response has been, "We desire to lean on the Lord, draw strength from Him, and understand the bigger picture. God is showing Himself real to us in so many ways. Our heart hurts and we are confused, yet we do have a peace and know that GOD IS GOD and we will praise Him even in our pain." Wow, what a response. Praise God!
Its slightly scary to think "is God just opening my eyes to this to challenge me, or is he preparing me for a trial like this in which I must choose to praise Him, as all these examples have shown." I honestly think that. Will I, as so many of His children have done in the past, praise Him in the storm of life?
Please continue to pray for Katelyn Schroeder and the Thames/Schroeder families. Please pray for the Bent family. Please pray for those you know who are grieving the loss of a loved one. And ask yourself, are there tiny, insignificant, not life and death issues/circumstances in YOUR life in which you are NOT choosing to praise His name while you endure it? If so, you are missing God's message. He wants you to joy in the trials and tribulations of life. Not only for you own growth in faith and trust, but so that "you may be the salt and light of the earth, a city that is set on a hill, a candle that cannot be hid"....so that YOU may reflect HIS strength in YOUR weakness. Will you choose JOY? Will I?
Blessed be your name, on the road marked with suffering, though there's pain in the offering, Lord blessed be your name.
Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise you. When the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say...Blessed be your name, Lord blessed be your name.
You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will CHOOSE to say, Lord blessed be your name.
This song was sung at Jordan's graveside. I watched his widowed wife lift her holy hands in praise and worship, and by grace, sing these words with faith and power and love. For this is the spirit that God has given us. Not a spirit of fear. But of power. Of love. Are you allowing Christ to be manifested in your response to life's challenges? Am I?
A week ago I received a link to news articles from my "big brother" Peter Kim describing an attack on Christian aid workers in Afghanistan. 10 were killed. For no reason. Peter and Robin Kim (aka my bro and sis in Indy) knew a teammate of this ministry and for days didn't know if she was included. They later found out she was not in that group, but the faith of those who perished for their faith was proclaimed by those who knew them. Praise God!
Last weekend I received an email from a friend who wanted to share an amazing story of Healing. the blog: asformeandmine.blogspot shares the story of baby Gavin born at 24 weeks, overcoming the odds and surviving and growing. The story of this couple, and their steadfast faith, inspired me. God has so recently been showing me the frailty of life through death. I was beginning to grasp the "eternal" healing aspect of God's goodness yet had forgotten that at times there is physical healing on this earth. Praise God!
Monday it became real again. I received a text from a friend in Jamaica, Tashi Bent, that her father had passed away at 8am. Back on June 7 I had blogged briefly about meeting Trevor, her father, and requested your prayers. Although I do ask that you continue to pray for them as they grieve and process, I can't help but get back to what I learned in Jordan's fight with battle. There is healing. Eternally. Forever. Praise God! (visit my teammates blog, plattnerfamily.blogspot.com as Kirk wrote a nice entry about this man of God)
Two days ago I received an email from friends who are missionaries in Argentina. Their 12 wk old baby (she was in her pregnancy) had only grown to be the size of a 8-9 wk old baby and there was NO heartbeat. The baby was no longer living. They will undergo some type of procedure to remove the baby in the coming days. Their response has been, "We desire to lean on the Lord, draw strength from Him, and understand the bigger picture. God is showing Himself real to us in so many ways. Our heart hurts and we are confused, yet we do have a peace and know that GOD IS GOD and we will praise Him even in our pain." Wow, what a response. Praise God!
Its slightly scary to think "is God just opening my eyes to this to challenge me, or is he preparing me for a trial like this in which I must choose to praise Him, as all these examples have shown." I honestly think that. Will I, as so many of His children have done in the past, praise Him in the storm of life?
Please continue to pray for Katelyn Schroeder and the Thames/Schroeder families. Please pray for the Bent family. Please pray for those you know who are grieving the loss of a loved one. And ask yourself, are there tiny, insignificant, not life and death issues/circumstances in YOUR life in which you are NOT choosing to praise His name while you endure it? If so, you are missing God's message. He wants you to joy in the trials and tribulations of life. Not only for you own growth in faith and trust, but so that "you may be the salt and light of the earth, a city that is set on a hill, a candle that cannot be hid"....so that YOU may reflect HIS strength in YOUR weakness. Will you choose JOY? Will I?
Blessed be your name, on the road marked with suffering, though there's pain in the offering, Lord blessed be your name.
Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise you. When the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say...Blessed be your name, Lord blessed be your name.
You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will CHOOSE to say, Lord blessed be your name.
This song was sung at Jordan's graveside. I watched his widowed wife lift her holy hands in praise and worship, and by grace, sing these words with faith and power and love. For this is the spirit that God has given us. Not a spirit of fear. But of power. Of love. Are you allowing Christ to be manifested in your response to life's challenges? Am I?
# posted by Blake @ 12:23 PM 
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