We may not understand why we’re going through something painful - anymore than babies understand why they’re hurting, but God does comfort us - if we have eyes to see.
In 2001, a month before Christopher was born, Ron had a painful boil on his cheek. He went to the dermatologist, but he still had to suffer through the boil. So that Saturday evening, we opened our Bibles to Job. We were both struck by the scriptures, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10), and “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15).
We talked over this idea at length. The next morning, I got a call that my older brother Bob was in ICU in the Casper, WY hospital - he’d had an asthma attack and was on life support. Mom and Dad traveled out and two days later, made the difficult decision to disconnect Bob, because he was brain dead and deteriorating. I lost my older brother when he was only 37.
Ron and I talked about our conversation, our Bible study in Job. We are convinced that it was not a coincidence. The boil wasn’t a coincidence either. Exactly three weeks after Bob’s death, Christopher was born. As I was being admitted in the hospital, the nurse was taking down all the family history and I told her about Bob’s death. She stopped what she was doing and said that she had a teen-aged daughter who was asthmatic, and would I mind if she shared the story of Bob’s death with her daughter. I gave my consent. Later, the nurse told me she’d been having trouble getting her daughter to take her asthma medication. After she’d shared Bob’s story, her daughter told her, “Mom, I promise I’ll take my medicine like you want me to.” Another coincidence? I don’t think so. I think it was an appointment set up by God, to give me comfort in the loss of my brother and to use the event as a witness to someone else.
Bob’s death brought home very clearly the idea that Christians also suffer pain and loss despite being Christians. For some time after that I struggled with trusting God. I know He loves me, but what will He allow to happen in my life to grow me? I have found myself very anxious at times - knowing that God loves me, but wondering if I think I can endure as much as God knows I can endure. I believe God set up several appointments for encouragement, times when His hand was so plainly evident in the situation.
And I'll share one of those appointments with you, next time.