Dear Trekker,
About 20 years ago, I became aware of a book which deeply affected my thinking about life – “what happens when we’ve made other plans.” For life always includes unprogrammed, unannounced and unwanted “hiccups.” The book title is the same as this month’s offering, When God Interrupts.
I bought a carton or two of the book, gave them away and as I write this month, can’t find even one copy. But I remember its content! Written by Dr. Craig Barnes, then pastor of National Presbyterian Church in D.C. and now President of Princeton Theological Seminary, the book brings readers to the stark realization that life in Christ is not about having good physical health, amassing wealth and or having all earthly relationships glued together in everlasting divine love. In all honesty, I’m not sure God interrupts life at all. He is as “steady as she goes,” never changing, always there, impervious to time or space issues of any kind. He who is Life (John 14:6) only “interrupts” our lives with His presence to remind us we are not in control of much of anything.
The comforting truth of the book’s message, “finding new life through unwanted change,” is how it opens up the soul. He, God alone, is enough, supplying every need according to His riches in glory. Whatever interrupts is what He allows. He will draw us closer to Himself as He simply will never leave or forsake us. Our sense of control will decrease; He will increase as we are carried through the turmoil of the unexpected.
Where am I going with this? Some of you are perhaps aware I made a “request covenant” with God many years ago to outlive my precious wife Barbara. Since her Mother lived till she was 97 that was a tall request. But it has sparked my physical conditioning, etc. My thinking was simple… God gave my wife to me as a gift (Eccl 9:9), and it only seemed manly to give her back to Him “someday.” When I met her almost 62 years ago, she was a beautiful woman of God, has remained so and blossomed in these latter years. God did not give me a dream or a verse to confirm He had heard my request. He rarely does. He simply is there in life’s unfolding circumstances, always.
Well, these last few months have been tough for my beautiful bride. A venous ulcer will not heal, and she has fallen a couple of times. The cold packs, heating pads, therapies, etc. have all “been there, present for daily duty.” But increasingly so, she became very tired and fatigued. Two weeks ago we found out why. Miss Barbara has been diagnosed with CML…chronic myeloid leukemia. This blood cancer has no cure. It is a genetic “accident.” A chromosome is formed abnormally and the process begins. Why or how this PH chromosome formed is unknown. During the chronic phase, the cancer cells grow slowly. Leukemia, unlike other cancers, begins in the bone marrow where cells form and spread into the blood.
Trekker, this diagnosis was a shocker. I immediately thought… these are the details beginning to unfold God didn’t tell me about in answer to my “requested covenant.” I happened to have my annual visit with my radiologist/oncologist the next morning, and my blood pressure was 190. This surprised the nurse and when I told her I had experienced stress in the last 18 hours, she said smiling, “Well, I am so sorry about your wife, but stress will shoot up your blood pressure.” I have never had high blood pressure.
Craig Barnes, who writes from so much tragedy in his own life, recalls in the book a young couple who had come to him for pre-marriage counseling. The young man was having second thoughts about marriage. He lamented, “I love her so much, I’m afraid to lose her. If I don’t marry her, I can’t lose her.” Barnes replied in wisdom, “Well I guarantee you, you will lose each other one day, sooner or later. It is the nature of life and marriage.” So true.
So often we make “deals” with God and leave out the necessary details to bring about our request. In our marriage, 60 years in a few weeks, the details likely have been introduced. During the chronic phase of CML, the cancer cells grow slowly. We hope we’ve caught this early. During the accelerated phase, cells grow faster. During the blast phase, the development of the cancer is ultimately fatal.
But how blessed we are! In recent years, one particular oral chemo/targeted therapy “miracle” drug has been developed that holds the cancer in check, and patients can live normal lives for many years. No cure…cancer cells will remain, but their destructive life-threatening damage can be held at bay. Hopefully that treatment will begin in a few days.
And you say, “How is Barbara, and how are you, Jim?” Well, Barbara’s spiritual condition (and mine) is steady. We are rejoicing in Jesus, praying unceasingly for healing and His will to be done, and giving thanks in all things. As you might expect, she is resting often, as she fights the ugly ulcer and the cancer. (There appears no organic connection between the two maladies.)
We can do nothing else. Trekker, this world is not our home; we are just “passing through.” Earthly life can never be more than the vestibule of eternal life. We’re born here and we die here; then we will live forever with Him as we pass through the dark tunnel of physical death.
Yesterday morning we read the following from Paul’s letter to the Romans, Chapter 5: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady”(Living Bible).
I am reading to Barbara a lot these days, and singing to her virtually daily. Yesterday, at her request, I sang, “It is Well with My Soul.” This morning the request was for “Be Still My Soul.” The words are gripping: “Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side; bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; Leave to thy God to order and provide, who through all changes faithful will remain. Be still my soul, thy best, thy heavenly Friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”
Well, if “thorny ways” are God’s interruptions, we praise Him. For regardless, “when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed, we shall (all again) meet at last.” (Psalm 46:10… “Be still and know that I am God.”) The future with Jesus is always bright for you and me and all we hold dear.
Appreciating the chorus of prayer on our behalf… won’t you join the chorus?
Jim Meredith