You know pain has little mercy and suffering’s no respecter of age, of race or position.
-Wayne Watson
It’s not that I expect it to be otherwise. After all, God only made a few promises- one of which was “in this world you will have trouble.” My apologies to Jabez disciples and makers of inspirational needlepoints and feel-good posters everywhere, but God keeps His promises. It’s not that He likes it that way, but He understands what happens in a fallen world. And I truly believe He spends more time grieving over the crap than doling out worldly trinkets.
Still…
This world sucks. In fact, it can suck the life right out of you in little sips or in giant slurps. Either way, it sucks. If you want proof, how about watching a person live their entire life in the service of others, following a healthy lifestyle (a la Daniel), losing a wife and daughter to cancer and now looking down the barrel of a similarly loaded canon with a fuse of unknown length. I guess in light of this, I wonder if I really buy the words to the song above. Sure, death is no respecter of age, race or position, but suffering seems to take up a more permanent residence with some than with others. If I knew what to pray for right now, it would probably just be that suffering would go straight to hell where it came from- or at least that it would leave him alone . But then, I don’t know what to pray. So I go back to song lyrics.
My faith is old. My heart is hard. My prayers are cold.
Still, ultimately…
Blessed be your name.
-Wayne Watson
It’s not that I expect it to be otherwise. After all, God only made a few promises- one of which was “in this world you will have trouble.” My apologies to Jabez disciples and makers of inspirational needlepoints and feel-good posters everywhere, but God keeps His promises. It’s not that He likes it that way, but He understands what happens in a fallen world. And I truly believe He spends more time grieving over the crap than doling out worldly trinkets.
Still…
This world sucks. In fact, it can suck the life right out of you in little sips or in giant slurps. Either way, it sucks. If you want proof, how about watching a person live their entire life in the service of others, following a healthy lifestyle (a la Daniel), losing a wife and daughter to cancer and now looking down the barrel of a similarly loaded canon with a fuse of unknown length. I guess in light of this, I wonder if I really buy the words to the song above. Sure, death is no respecter of age, race or position, but suffering seems to take up a more permanent residence with some than with others. If I knew what to pray for right now, it would probably just be that suffering would go straight to hell where it came from- or at least that it would leave him alone . But then, I don’t know what to pray. So I go back to song lyrics.
My faith is old. My heart is hard. My prayers are cold.
Still, ultimately…
Blessed be your name.
3 Comments:
Blessed be the name of the Lord
"though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm...."
thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Val.
Looking down the barrel . . .
Eyes open, seeing what's coming.
Still, looking down the barrel. Why?
Because eyes screwed shut would rob him of the sight of those he loves around him and the memories of those who have gone before. And perhaps because with eyes open we can see how God works.
Nobody knows what to pray for or, sometimes even, why to pray. Still, we pray. And we're praying now for all of you.
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