Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
The call to live and to die well especially in the face of adversity, i.e. according to God’s will, has at least three purposes: it strengthens our relationship with our Lord, it provides us a better quality of life and it strengthens the body of Christ. With respect to the latter, sometimes we learn from studying scripture and sometimes we learn from and are encouraged by watching others as they live by faith. For this post, rather than presenting a discussion of the precepts that encourage healthy relationships for which we can be thankful, I’d like to present evidence of God working through the body of Christ.
I love God’s vast creation in all forms…ok I’m not particularly fond of spiders and snakes, but I still appreciate the intricacies of their form and function. While I stand in awe as I gaze at a beautiful vista, a delicate flower or the fog rolling in, I believe that one of God’s most beautifully detailed and intricate designs is the way He weaves our lives together. Some people are there for a short time and fill a specific need while others are included for longer and deeper relationships. There are all kinds of people in the world and that mix of good and bad as well as God fearing and those who aren’t will be represented in our lives. However, to the extent that we do have control, we are called to surround ourselves with godly people so that we may serve and encourage each other in our faith…building each other up.
God has placed some very special people in my life for whom I am very thankful. Two of them are our dear friends Bob and Joni who have been a part of our lives for 35 years. For the nine or ten years that we lived in close proximity, we enjoyed life together. We met through and served together in the church that we attended and that they are still a part of. Marie and Bob worked together. As their daughters and ours were the same ages, Joni graciously watched our children after school until Marie was done working. We spent a lot of time together socially in various ways. But for our current homes, we have worked on all of our homes together. I could go on, but in short we “did life together” enjoying fellowship and encouragement in faith. They have certainly been an encouragement to us in faith and life and I pray that we have done the same for them. My health issues have been more challenging lately and I am admittedly weary of the fight. Yet even now with miles between us, I find our friends encouraging us to press on with enduring faith and reliance on the promises of God. While the battle that Marie and I endure has been frustrating and drawn out, the one that our dear friends are in the midst of is intense and heartbreaking. As I write this, Bob is facing the last days of his life. After being in remission from pancreatic cancer for some time, the cancer has returned. As their last two updates indicate (included with their permission) they exemplifying what we are all called to do; specifically, they are living by faith rather than by sight…they are trusting in God’s love and faithfulness. What is most valuable is that they are honest, faithful and hopeful as you can see in the following condensed excerpts.
In early September he writes:
This is a tough e-mail to write. Joni and I have been through a downward spiral the last 6 weeks that appears to have no foreseeable bottom. I am taking far more meds for nausea and pain than I was two months ago. I will likely have another CT scan next month, but I have to confess I hold little hope now in medical treatments to improve my situation.
On the other hand, I have a great hope in my Lord and His plans for Joni and me, whether that be to extend my life even more than He already has, or whether He calls me home more quickly than we had hoped a few months ago. We are trying hard to remember the gospel from day to day and remind each other of it when the pain gets bad.
Your prayers for us are treasured and much appreciated. We love you all.
God is great, all the time and all the time, God is great.
Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.
Bob
That was followed in early October with:
“I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: Do not close your ears to my cry for relief. You came near when I called you and you said, ‘Do not fear.’ O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life.” Lamentations 3: 55-58
These verses from Lamentation were of comfort to me yesterday when we learned that my cancer appears to have returned. The CT scan I had yesterday shows two new masses in my abdomen. We will see my oncologist tomorrow afternoon and see where to go from here, but it is likely that there are not any real treatment options available. Apart from a miraculous healing, it appears God is allowing my cancer to proceed along a fairly predictable path that will lead to my going home sooner rather than later.
As you might imagine, yesterday was challenging for Joni and I and our children. I have been, and continue to be blessed by the strong women God has brought into my life, Joni, Allison and Ashley. We will walk this next part of my path together, holding our hope in an eternal future guaranteed by the work of Christ. At times we may be tempted to think of God as either impotent or cruel, but the cross proves the opposite. God is both sovereign and loving and He is working things out in Joni and my lives for our best.
Please pray with us as we talk, cry, laugh and love each other in this life for as long as the Lord gives. We will keep y’all updated as you walk with us.
Bob
James 5: 10-11 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
I hope as you read these you can see both the honest assessment of the situation and the faithful hope in our God. There is no pretense that everything is wonderful. They fully acknowledge the challenges. Rather than emoting or becoming angry with God, they are reaching to the depths of their souls, relying on the Holy Spirit to remain faithful and believe in God as they have always done. Finally, they remain hopeful in the promises of God…in His plans for them, in the redemption promised for those who believe, for the return of our Lord, the life promised with Him in eternity as well as His unfailing compassion and mercy.
“But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’” James 2:18 As I’ve mentioned, our friends serve the body of Christ well; not just in the work that they do for others, but also in the example they provide in the way that they care for each other, their children and grandchildren. Further, they are willing to receive. I had the opportunity to visit them for a while this week. As we enjoyed each other’s company, the body of Christ was reaching out to meet their needs with gifts, visits and encouragement. It was yet another example of how the family of Christ is to live…giving and receiving as each has the means, the opportunity and the need. The faith of all was evident in the acts of love which not only work to strengthen those who believe, but also as a testimony to those who may observe and have not yet chosen to follow Christ.
As our visit ended and I was leaving, Bob’s final words to me were “I’ll see you on the other side.” If that is not an encouragement to live well, I don’t know what is. It is an inspiration to continue with enduring faith…not giving up; it also displays confidence in God’s promise to complete His work in me as He is doing with Bob.
We are not meant to live our lives alone, but as part of a greater body. While I realize that there may be circumstances which isolate us, to the extent that we are able, we are called to be viable, active members of the body of Christ. In that light, I encourage you to surround yourself with godly people nurturing those relationships with honesty, faithfulness and hope. Love well within and outside the body of Christ so that we may: build each other up; show the world our faith by our works, be thankful for the people in our lives; and glorify our Father in Heaven.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
Will
PS: Please pray for our friends as walk this path. It is quite possible that by the time this post is published, Bob will abide with our Lord and Savior and that Joni, their family and those of us who love him will be grieving with hope in our God.