"The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Psalm 34:18
(This post was published 7 years ago. I have added some timely thoughts, but for the most part, some things just never change. The cross pictured is perched against a tree in my front yard. A man who is out of work because of the Corona Virus can't make them fast enough.)
Today I drove by a house that had a sign in the front that said, "We're Fighting Cancer Inside." Another sign said, "Honk If You Hate Cancer." Part of me wants to simply lay on the horn and keep it on all the way down the street. For it is not just in one home, but many homes. Many hospitals. I want to blare the horn so long and loud that my friend several states away receiving treatment can hear me cry out, "I hate cancer!"
And today we all cry out, "I hate the Corona Virus."
I have not had cancer nor the Corona Virus (to date), but I would think that when the diagnosis is given, the first thoughts of the patient might include, "Well this is it. This is what will get me." Fortunately today, cancer and viruses are being fought fiercely through innovative treatments and new medicine. There is hope. And there is full recovery.
But in reality, sometimes there is not recovery. Sometimes we fight and fight, but in the end, we are overtaken by death. When my daughter received her diagnosis, there was no hope - maybe a few months of life to live, but in the end, her disease would kill her. Oh, we prayed for a miracle. We prayed for a mistaken diagnosis. We prayed for healing. But Megan's time on earth was done. God allowed her to come to Him and we were all left here to try and make sense of it.
That's when God came close to me, the broken-hearted one. That's when God drew near to me - the one who was crushed in spirit. I loved the Lord Jesus and said no matter what, I would not turn my back on the God I loved. That was 12 years ago. And I still love the God who did not heal my child.
Mad? No. (Well, not any more)
Sad? At times.
Full of questions? Sometimes.
Hopeful? Always.
Why? Because Jesus overcame this mystery called death. Jesus is alive and because He lives, when I die I will also live because I trust in the One who overcame death on the cross of Easter.
How can I be so sure? Scripture says so.
Do I believe it? Every single word.
How can I be so sure? I keep on reading, praying, and trusting. It's faith.
If you have received some kind of diagnosis, know someone who has, or are mourning the loss of a loved one, God's promises are all true. They are available to be received the minute your heart is broken - even before it is crushed.
Let Him come near today.
