The Best is Yet to Come

"Nothing happens on Earth that doesn't pass through the filter of God's sovereign plans and His desire to give us the very best, which is Himself."  ~Louie Giglio

We all have moments in life when we wonder "Why?". We wonder why God would allow circumstances to be what they are. We wonder why His answer is "No" when we so want it to be "Yes". One of those moments for me was when my father died. I had prayed for his healing and believed that God would do the impossible. I knew that the only way dad would ever be free from cancer was if God stepped in and did what medicine and modern technology failed to do. But He did not. And in the "no" I had to decide how to move forward. 

Dad was and still is one of my heroes. He was truly one of the most amazing people I have ever known. He taught me how to live, to suffer, and to die. He lived his life to the fullest and knew how to embrace the moment for what it was and not what he thought it should be. He put God above everything else. The combination of these things makes it easy to wonder why God would allow suffering and hardship when dad loved Him so much. In the days before he died, I felt like God was gently prodding me with the questions, "Will you still trust me even if I don't heal your dad? Will you still call me Healer even if I don't heal?" These were questions that I had to wrestle with as I watched dad's life ebb away.  I had seen dad's unwavering faith as he battled cancer, and I knew that if I looked back on my own life, I would see the faithfulness of God. I knew that the only way I could move forward was to trust in the goodness of God. I had to trust that if it was dad's time to die, then that was God's best for him, and even for me. You may be wondering "Why? Why would you continue to trust God when He allows suffering?" And that is what I hope to answer in this blog..."the why".

At dad's funeral, I read a passage from Acts 2 that says, "But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip." (Acts 2:23-24) Betrayed. Nailed to a cross. Dead. When you read those words, it seems as if it is done. It is finished. The End. But it was not. It felt like the end, but it was not because Jesus rose again. Death could not hold Him. If the story would have ended at the cross, there would be no reason to believe. The story did not end there though. Jesus defeated death, and through His death and resurrection He paid the price for the sins of the world. This is the first part of "the why". God sacrificed His son so that He could have a relationship with me and with you. If Jesus would lay down His life for me, when I did nothing to deserve it, why would I not trust Him with the details of my life? If He sacrificed so greatly for me, why would I not follow Him?  

But what about suffering? Why would God sacrifice so greatly, only to then ask you to walk through suffering? Why follow a God that would do that? I think the first thing that needs to be addressed is that we live in a fallen world. As a result of sin, suffering happens. Cancer happens, COVID-19 happens, disasters happen. God did not create cancer or COVID-19. They are just part of a broken world. Did God allow dad to get cancer? Yes, he did. Why? Because He could use it for His glory, and for my dad's good. 2 Corinthians 4 says this, "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies...That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and will not last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" (2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 16-17) Dad chose to trust God with his suffering, and in doing so he gained something of great value. As followers of Jesus, suffering produces in us a glory that will last forever. The things we suffer in this world are insignificant compared to the glory we will one day receive. Through suffering we get to partake in a small measure of all that Jesus suffered on our behalf. Just like Jesus' death was not the end of the story, our life and death are not the end of the story either. We have an eternity that awaits us and that is where we should fix our eyes. My life here, the decisions I make, and the way I live should be with eternity in mind. Anything I can accomplish or gain in this world will never compare to all that I have in Christ. However, if you do not believe that God’s ways are perfect, and that His banner over you is love, then you will never realize what you need to through the process of suffering. 

Suffering also allows us to experience God in a way we could not without it. If I had to sum up what I have experienced through the loss of dad, I would say it is the sufficiency of God. His grace has been sufficient. He has given me everything I have needed to deal with the loss of dad. If you could sit down and talk to my mom, she would tell you the same thing. She would tell you how God provided exactly what was needed for her and dad as they dealt with his cancer. And I know dad would tell you the same thing.  When I look back through my struggle with infertility, I can tell you that God showed me so much about trust and waiting on His timing. Would I have chosen to walk through that difficult period of life? No, it was hard. It was lonely. Would I trade it now?  No, I experienced God in ways that I would not have otherwise. My faith grew and I became a stronger person. I think Louie Giglio summed it up so well when he said that God wants to give us the very best, which is Himself. It is easy to forget that fact in the middle of the trial. It is easy to focus on the discomfort. Often, we must look back to see what we have gained.

The thing is we are all dying. We will all come to the end of our life. And when my time comes, what story do I want my life to tell? I have thought about this a lot since dad passed. One thing that has stood out to me is how many people have commented on his great faith and the kindness he showed. No one has mentioned his job title and accomplishments, the way he looked, the car he drove, or how much money he made. What they have commented on is the way he walked with God. They have mentioned the faith he showed during his life, even during his struggle with cancer. I could see the life of Christ in him. He inspired me, and I know that he inspired others. When my time comes, I want to know that I did all that God created me to do. I want to know that I pointed as many people as I could to Him. I want to know that I loved well and trusted God, even amid suffering. I want to keep my eyes fixed on the glory that is to come.

This life is just a vapor. It lasts but a breath. Why does God allow suffering? Because this world is not the end. It is the beginning. Suffering produces in us treasure that cannot be taken away. It is not easy, but in the end is worth it. God is enough. He pursues you with loving kindness. Surrender to Him and know that He will use anything you walk through for your good. Keep your eyes fixed on Him knowing that the best is yet to come.