Dad continues to get better. Yesterday marked one week since he was released from the hospital. He has gained a little more than 3 pounds back. I have found that hospitals are great to save your life but are not very good places to live if that makes any sense. Since bringing dad home I have thought a lot about Lazarus. C.S.Lewis wrote a poem about Lazarus where he points out that Lazarus was put in the unenviable position of dying twice. A little more than 3 weeks ago dad was at least three quarters of the way to heaven. We dragged him back by drilling a hole in his head. It is wonderful to have him back but I know it is only temporary. It is only temporary for any of us. The good news is dad still longs to be there. I read him Philippians 1:21-25 the other day. "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better, yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith." While I read dad had his eyes closed and when he opened them they were wet with tears. Every once in a while we find the passage of scripture where we are living right at that moment.
I read Samuel Rutherford today. "When we shall come home and enter to the possession of our Brother's fair kingdom, and when our heads shall find the weight of the eternal crown of glory, and when we shall look back to pains and sufferings; then shall we see life and sorrow to be less than one step or stride from a prison to glory; and that our little inch of time - suffering is not worthy of our first night's welcome home to heaven." If I can't write like that it is still a privilege to be able to read something like that.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Dad, Lazarus, and Sam Rutherford
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6 comments:
Joe, your message today reminded me of my precious Lee. We too would find a passage that was where we were living right at that moment...and I remember the tears. And, I remember thanking God for directing us to that passage, and for the blessing of sharing His promises with her.
"And, finally, when death comes, the promise will still hold good. When we stand in the middle of the Jordan, we will be able to say with David, "I will fear no evil, for you are with me."2
"We will descend into the grave, but we shall go no lower, for the eternal arms prevent our further fall. All through life, and at its close, we shall be upheld by the "everlasting arms"-arms that neither flag nor lose their strength, for "the everlasting God . . . does not faint or grow weary."3
1 Hebrews 7:25 2 Psalm 23:4 3 Isaiah 40:28
The Word is alive! And it is able to speak to us still, all through the ages. What a privilege we have to hold that precious book in our hands and hear it from God directly to us. That's the power of God. That's the power in the living Word.
For our sake Roland is here. We rejoice in the mercy of Almighty God for us. And that your dad would agree for a time to delay glory for the benefit of his family and the body of Christ. To God be all glory and honor and praise.
Scott
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with you and your family.
Family is so precious...each day is so precious! We are constantly reminded that it is through our precious Lord that we are here. It continues to remind me that the journey is not ours to be had...
emompinewogma
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