I cannot think of a better place to find God than when and where he is needed most. Contrary to what other might think, God is most apt to make a strong appearance when he is needed and sought out. People do not seek God much when he is not needed. I guess that is why the humble or humbled find God better and more frequently than those whose heads are in the clouds. But, through the years, I have found many people saying just the opposite.
It seems to me to be a tad immature to hear, "Why is this happening to me?", followed by, "I cannot believe in a loving God if this will happen to me." I understand the first question. David used that kind of line as did some of the prophets. But, I never see the latter in any of the more mature saints of God. There might be a complaint, but never a conclusion that God does not exist or that he is somehow a bully through it all. Impatience, Yes! Exasperation leading to quitting, No!
In our family, right now, our son Mitch has been laboring for a second time with a pretty aggressive form of leukemia. It is looking like a bone marrow transplant is the reasonable, medical solution to the problem. Of course, we are praying for and welcoming any divine short-cut or hint of the miraculous along the way. But, in the meantime, we engage in the donor search. None of us know why Mitch is the one with it. None of us pretends to have great answers other than this as a great reminder of the fact of our frail humanity. We never move down the road of fault finding and the silliness of culprit creation. I’ll leave that to Job’s friends and the disciples of John 9 vintage.
But, what I do know, is that God has shown up in powerful ways. Relationships are growing. We are more poignantly aware of our frailty. And, we all know that dependence is not such a bad thing. Our prayer is more focused. Our contact is more frequent. Our conversations are a little deeper. Our hope is more glaring. Our comfort is strangely active. Our passion for doing what we out to be about in this life is a little hotter. These are all quite good. And, added to it all, God is giving a true peace that passes understanding.
I find God’s presence in difficulty somewhat like the light being brighter in darkness. It seems the best place in the world to find light is in a very dark place. The opposite of what one might think. When I was a child, we lived near some caves. We would walk back into the recesses of the mountain and light a candle. The candle would seem like the sun while we were in the cave. However, stepping back into the light of midday, it was difficult to distinguish whether or not the candle was even lit.
So, for those who are praying, "Thank-you." Keep praying. For those who think we may be discouraged or mournful at this time, you could not be further from our reality. We are enjoying God’s daily mercies, while we weep for our hurting son. In fact, Mitch is enjoying God’s mercies and presence and giving daily reports on the wonder of God’s love.
God is bringing light in a dark place in a way that makes us just stare at the light in wonder. Praise His holy Name!