How Do We Respond?

So, what do you do when the unexpected happens? A chapter suddenly closes or a diagnosis comes, and once again you realize that control is only an illusion.

It’s six in the morning, and I’m lying on the cot in my mom’s hospital room; a place I did not expect to be a week ago, but life can change that quickly. My mom was well when suddenly she wasn’t, and now we are waiting on the results of a biopsy. Life is that fragile, and I am reminded yet again that our days are numbered (Psalm 39:4-5).

It will be four years in June that we buried my brother and memories of long days in the hospital are flooding my mind. We all pray for an easy death, but as I walk the halls of this hospital, I see that death is anything but that. Death can be painful, as well as slow, and a horrible reminder that life wasn’t supposed to be this way. We were created to live in the garden; a garden that we were meant to tend. However, because of sin and rebellion against our Creator, we all now face death.

I know, my thoughts are heavy in the wee hours of the morning, but I also know that we are not a people without hope. Because of God’s great love for us, “he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) The New Covenant offered to us through the blood of Jesus Christ, and because of his sacrifice, death has no hold on us!

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

 “Where, O death, is your victory?

  Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

Here, Paul declares that death has been defeated, and as a defeated opponent, it no longer has the same sting. The venom has been removed and we, as believers in the saving grace of Jesus Christ, will live forever in eternal joy. However, for unbelievers, the story is very different. For them the sting remains. Instead of joy, there is only fear and despair as they come to realize that the world only offers empty promises and broken dreams. To them, death is a cruel master.  

This passage is so powerful and one that I turn to for comfort in times of trouble; however, as so often happens, my eyes fell on the very next verse:

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (15:58)

And I said, “Oh.”

In the darkness of this room, I feel the heaviness of what lies before us. I don’t want my mother to have cancer. I don’t want her to suffer, but what if James is right. What if the only way we can really grow in our faith and become mature and complete is through trials (James 1:2,3)?

That’s not the “easy button” that I’m looking for, but I also know it’s the truth. Throughout the history of the church, we see so many saints who turned defeat into victory as they walked the path of suffering, and we can do the same. No matter what trial we are facing, we should consider it pure joy as we continue to look for ways to serve God because nothing done for him is ever a waste of our time.

Thus, the logical question I need to ask is how can I serve God today? What can I do to bring glory to his name?

It’s an odd thought at a time like this, but laughter comes to mind. Proverbs 17:22 tells us that, “a cheerful heart is good medicine,” and that is exactly what my mom needs. If we are going to be stuck in a hospital room the size of a postage stamp, we need to laugh. One of the pastors from their church stopped by to “cheer” Mom up and left being cheered by us. We are choosing to be joyful despite our circumstances because this is what God wants us to do (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Hence, we have laughed and made the most of our time together. However, I also feel God’s call to pray. At this moment, I am literally surrounded by dozens of people who are in need of prayer. Across the hall, I hear a man moaning in pain and others seem to be all alone in their suffering with no one stopping by to see them.

So, I pray and I pray and I pray, “Father, be with your people!” Yet, the Holy Spirit is prompting me to go further. I need to ask people how I can pray for them, but more specially I feel the urging to ask the medical team.

You see, over the days, I have watched the nurses and aids as they have worked to meet the needs of each patient. They show such care and compassion and see each as a person and not just a nameless face. I now wonder what burdens they are carrying. Thus, this morning I started asking, “How can I pray for you?”

Their responses have varied. One asked for patience. They work twelve-hour shifts and she is very tired. Another said “anything”; she was just glad to know that I was praying for her. I then asked another, and I stood in awe when I heard her request.

She is from Africa, a mother of nine children, and a member of the cleaning crew. In the working world, her job is on the bottom rung – a thankless job. Yet this sweet sister in Christ did not ask me to pray for her to get a better job or more money. Instead, she asked me to pray that all people will come to know Jesus.

In a place of suffering, this woman is desperate for others to know her Savior and isn’t that what it’s all about. It’s our calling. We are to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), and even during our own times of suffering, we are to never stop talking about Jesus because we do not grieve as the world grieves (1 Thessalonians 4:13). As Pope John Paul II said, “We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!”

He is our strength, our strong tower, and when the unexpected happens, we raise our voice in praise.

So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Amen and so be it. Lisa

Discussion Questions

What does it mean to you to be an “Easter People”?

How can we ensure that our "labor in the Lord is not in vain"?

What can you do today to serve God and bring glory to his name?