A week like the one past causes me to reflect on life, how quickly it passes, how swiftly things change, and how we need to be dependent on God, who is faithful through all of life's craziness.
The death of baby Logan, not even ready to be born yet, struck me profoundly. Why him? Why not me or you? Why not somebody else's child? And yet God, in His infinite and great plan, has a reason for his all-too-brief existence. What is the reason? I don't know -- maybe I never will know in this lifetime. But his short life has me reflecting again on God's closeness in my life during times of need, and I pray that this experience will impact Logan's family in the same way.
Then I read this entry, posted here on McKMama's blog. I feel like I could've written it myself, especially four years ago when we were going through my husband's cancer treatment; I could identify with every word she wrote.
This paragraph, especially, reached out and grabbed my attention:
When I feel helpless, what other choice do I have than to cry out "Lord, help me! Lord, help me! Lord, help me!" And as I frantically grasp for Jesus' hand with my own, clawing to get a grip as I'm gasping for breath in the darkness of the valley I find myself plummeting into, God meets me. As I grope about in my darkest hours, God lights a lamp of hope. And only then is there light enough for me to see that, although I am searching with my hands to find God's so that I won't fall any further, He already has me. His powerful, righteous hand is always holding me, and not just by the hand, either. He has such a tight grip on me that there is no way I'll fall where He can't reach me.
At church yesterday, I learned that the mother of one of our pastors unexpectedly died from a stroke on Saturday, and is now in the presence of God Himself! While a shock to his family, and while they are no doubt grieving tremendously, what a comfort to know that this life is NOT the end -- that there is so much more, so much that is BETTER, than what we experience here.
Why am I posting this? I don't know -- God has put it on my heart, and it just feels good to put these thoughts down in writing. So I'll end by quoting the end of McKMama's post:
As we watch Stellan walk this road, and our family walks it along with him, I am trying to remember that "our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 2 Corinthians 4:17. A closer, more personal, deeper walk with the Lord is an amazing relationship that, at times, seems to grown and thrive best in seasons of deep pain and hurt.
I choose to praise God in this storm. In fact, I will praise Him for this storm.
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