Month: June 2017

There are several points to be made as we take a brief step back before heading toward the end. Or, perhaps the beginning. The difficulty in this particular part of this blog is to give context and to keep on point without straying too far off the true intent. I’m going to bring some thoughts to the table but would far rather you make up your own mind or pursue further than to give the impression that I am trying to persuade or manipulate you.

So, in light of my experiences and your own in this area, what conclusions do we draw? I feel as though we live in a culture that highly stresses knowing and being right, but that relies so heavily on that avenue being accessed through the five physical senses or empirical or so-called scientific methodology; in short, anything that can be observed, measured and proven. But disappearing tumors do not exist in the aforementioned realm. In the case of my daughter and my friend’s father, my faith tells me that a healing miracle had taken place; the first, for which I was definitely grateful, and fully attributed to God, the second I consciously tried to partner with God and saw good results in both. With my friend, I, like many others, partnered with God but we did not see the outcome, the miracle we wanted. Why? I simply do not know. And sometimes, I think, that is the best answer we can possibly give. Not to the point of denial or just being dismissive but I simply can’t explain why my daughter lived, my friend’s dad became cancer free over night and my best friend died. Perhaps, more often than we care to admit, we just do not know; and I think it’s often wiser to just say it rather than come up with something, anything, just to try to pass off the idea that we do know.

Which brings us to the question as to whether or not God is good. Well, is God good, all the time or not? Was God good when my daughter lived? Was God good when my friend, your friend, my mother, your mother, dad, child, valued one, precious one, indispensible one died?

May I suggest that without a genuine, personal relationship with the living God (remember the me I described earlier? yeah, that guy) it becomes a pretty easy slam-dunk to begin to accuse God. “How could a loving God allow something like this to happen?” But please allow me to remind us that there is an enemy that means nothing but harm for us and loves to taunt us during losses like these. And the shortest route he employs is to blame someone for this. It has to be someone’s fault. And when we have neither rhyme nor reason for our unspeakable loss and we must have some type of answer, we often put it on God.

(And, I have friends and know others who have prematurely lost loved ones, who are in loving, intimate relationship with God, yet the pain of loss has opened up doors of resentment and accusation toward God.)

I must be far more brief than I want to here, but it is totally inconsistent with the essence and nature of God to think that He uses illness or death as a teaching tool, or a lesson or, worse, punishment and the burden of proof that God does this lies with that view’s proponent. May I suggest that we do ourselves immeasurable harm to entertain such ideas.

Closely associated with this type of confusion is the idea that God is in control. Have you ever thought that it could be that God is in charge but not in control? Do I know why God chooses not to usurp man’s free will or allows in His wisdom what He could easily change in His power? Or that He has chosen to limit Himself in a way that allows much more of our interaction with Him? No, I do not know why or how; but I hope this, at least, gives you pause.

Disclaimer: I’m going to suggest a book for those who are sincerely seeking perspective and insight. Will this blog or this book offer all the answers? Probably not; but they may offer a beginning, an avenue heretofore not traveled. If so, good. But in personally endorsing this book, I have neither sought nor been offered gain of any type except the satisfaction that someone, through this, might be helped in some way.

The book is The Essential Guide to Healing by Bill Johnson and Randy Clark, especially chapters 5-7. There are valuable insights throughout its pages.

God is good . . . all the time. While there are things in life beyond our understanding for the present moment, often answers come in time. But the honest truth is that I am sick of cancer and I feel that more and more we are coming to realize that God wants us to be active participants in not only healing those that are afflicted but wants to give us plans, strategies and cures to completely eradicate cancer. And not only that, but every other work of the enemy.

My Friend

In the aftermath of the miraculous healing of my friend’s father, there arose a bit of palpable resentment followed by open sarcasm toward me by some in the church leadership. Rumors had arisen regarding our small gathering to anoint, declare and pray for his healing and it seemed to offend some in prominence who wanted to delegate the healing event solely to the prayers of the church and relegate our efforts to pride or showmanship. Although I loved it there, I knew I had to leave in order to find a place where my newfound faith would be accepted, nurtured and allowed to grow.

I found such a place in the spring of 2007. (While I was searching, I read . . . voraciously . . . everything I could get my hands on that revealed this new way of thinking, of learning, of relating, of experiencing God, of loving and being loved of God, of partnering with God, of nearly everything!) I went to this church, which was about 25 miles away, solely on the advice of a friend. The moment I walked through the doors I knew I was home despite not knowing a single person there. It was the “next” part of an already extraordinary journey.

For the first few weeks I would sit in the back and just observe. I watched the people, meeting a few as relationships began to form, but mostly just observing this completely different environment. I would get there early, stay until almost everyone had left and intently, purposely watch: how people worshipped, interacted with one another, responded, especially after the “preaching” or “sermon” was finished, to the “ministry” time, a phenomenon I found quite fascinating.

The most significant observation centered around one man who sat in the front row for whom, Sunday after Sunday, people would queue simply to get a hug or word of encouragement. This man became my mentor and my friend. He was like the father I never had, even though we were just several years in age apart, and the brother I never had. I have met very, very few who loved, honored, valued and esteemed others the way he did. He was one of the most powerful men I have ever known and yet one of the most humble. They way he listened was extraordinary and in the years I knew him, he never interrupted or rebuked anyone and would lovingly offer guidance only when asked. There was never the hint of control or self-centeredness about him; his boundless strength was in the way he loved.

I asked him to mentor me early in our relationship and he consented as we also formed a deep friendship. For three and a half years we met at least weekly and then almost daily for the nearly five weeks preceding his death. He died from the effects of brain cancer.

In the months prior, there were constant prayers and declarations being made from many people whom I personally knew had been part of past healing miracles. We contended faithfully, battled courageously and our faith was strong in the belief that our friend would fully manifest the healing that had been provided him at the Cross.

I miss my friend.