WHAT IF WE LEFT BECAUSE OF THE BAD WEATHER

The early morning hours are my favorite time of day at my parents’ home in south Louisiana. Sipping coffee, quiet conversation, journaling, and reading a daily devotional with Mom. I love sitting with her and hearing her take-aways of the author’s work. She often dives deep for the gems of revelation leaving me enough time only to scribble her thoughts down on paper. (Thank goodness for shorthand.)

One morning after reading the devotional, only weeks after my dad’s passing, my mother’s insight took a profound, passionate turn from the author. I was encouraged because our family was experiencing great grief, and she had been very quiet. From her heart she spoke, “At Jesus’ crucifixion many walked away because the weather became bad, the skies drew black, and so their experience ended with the cross. To them it was over. As they ran for shelter, Jesus was left hanging on the cross like a common criminal. And, to them, it was done.”

“But for Mary and Jesus’ brother, and those who stayed behind through the earthquake, ‘the story’ was just beginning. Mary wept because the son she raised and nurtured had now experienced the hands of injustice and the horrors of mankind; YET she knew not to trust what her eyes saw. Though she grieved her loss, she knew there was more. Though the day became as night, and the earth shook, those who stayed got to see ‘the more,’ the glory, the fullness of forgiveness!” 

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land…the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked; the rocks split. (Mathew 27)

I was speechless at Mom’s revelation. Lost in her eyes, I could see she was deep in thought, and there was more. She continued, “If I came across a man that ‘settled’ by rushing away for shelter, I would need more than my smile. My job is to be an ambassador of Christ and to share authentic love of forgiveness. I need to paint the pain of the cross but also the brilliant brushstrokes of Jesus’ resurrection. If we understand this truth, then we will live here with the ideal of heaven and the glory of God.”

We talked a while about her thoughts and a few of my own. And with what seemed like agonizing awareness, Mom added, “We forget that every gouge Jesus bore is my sin! MY sin! Each whip is MY sin! We need to revisit the cross! ‘God, You are letting this happen to You! I know You said it is Your Son, but it is You on the cross! Jesus—but also You! Tortured beyond comprehension; flesh ripped from your body; nailed to a cross making it impossible for You to breathe; hung to die for me! Are You so full of wrath that You lowered Yourself to a piece of meat?’ No! God needed to satisfy our nonsense and show us there is only one answer, and it’s the Risen Christ. If we take away the Risen Christ, what do we have? We have not really believed! The purpose was to bring us back to Him—and the Risen Christ does that."

 “We are not left with ‘a story’ of the cross. If we are believers, we can experience the cross, and more so, the Risen Christ and the fullness of forgiveness. There are those who still say, ‘The cross is enough.’ But NO! We need the reunion in its fullness. This Wonder of Wonders giving us a chance at new life. Jesus—heaven on Earth! Christ’s death—but the fullness of His Resurrection. And the glory of God—the finished picture!”

Did you leave short of the resurrection? Did you leave because of the bad weather? Does your faith end with the cross? Or have you allowed yourself to experience the fullness of forgiveness, the fullness of Christ’s resurrection, and the glory of God?

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME, RIGHT PERSON, RIGHT WORD

Recently, as is routine, we asked the couples in our community/home group for their prayer requests. After a few tearful requests, one of the husbands simply said, “Please pray that daily I am in the right place at the right time for the right person with the right words.” I remember writing down his request and thinking, “Wow, of all the requests he could have made. It’s so simple but profound.” As the night came to a close, I could NOT stop thinking about this brother’s request. 

Two days later, while doing some random house things, I spontaneously threw on my jacket and drove off in the rain to get the renewal sticker for my car tags. It was such an awkward last-minute thought. Such an abrupt move. And, NOT on my to-do list for that day. 

I drove up to our local recreation center to use the kiosk provided by the State. In my spontaneity, I forgot the registration renewal papers but was able to use last year’s in my glove compartment. Walking briskly through the rain, an older woman held the door for me. I was caught off guard as she awkwardly got in my space trying to read my t-shirt. As we walked, I held open my jacket so she could articulate EACH and EVERY word, while I made sure she didn’t trip over her own feet: “Her shining light will not be extinguished no matter how dark the night.” (Proverbs 31:18)

Her response, “Hmm…”

I replied, “Our youngest gave it to me in honor of her sister.” 

Again, “Hmm…”

So, I added, “Her sister, our oldest daughter, is in heaven.” 

“Ohhh, I see. And how did she die?”

It took the power of God to keep me from falling through the door. I was not ready for this! I was on a random jaunt to get my sticker from that kiosk just 10 yards away…right there…that kiosk…right over there!

And then, like only God can orchestrate, she interrupted my life to share her heart not yet knowing “our story”. I listened as her shaky voice began, “I have two sons, both are Christians. The older one is strong and kind and such a wonderful person. The younger one always struggled and is an alcoholic.” (My heart began to pound as she tiptoed into our tragedy.) She continued, “For years I prayed to God for either of two things: that He would deliver my son from this terrible addiction and spare his life, OR, when he inevitably crashes his car that he would not kill anyone.” With tears falling down her face, she added, “God heard my prayers. My son crashed his car a couple of years ago and died alone.”

[When you think you are so empty and void of anything good, God often times will place you on a precipice just to show you what HE has deposited in your heart, and to remind you that HE is with you, and HE will get HIS glory. This was that!]

Before I knew it, I had my arm around her and was consoling her. In one sentence, I stuttered “our tragedy”:  Meagan and I were on a road trip together and were hit head-on by an unconscious drunk driver that resulted in her instant death. And then, I began speaking life to this lady’s grieving soul. I convinced her that her son did NOT die alone. That God heard her unselfish prayers and did answer her. That being a Christian struggling with life, her son’s final act did not determine who he was. I admitted that I had no clue how these things work nor would I ever presume to know the mind of Christ, but I am quite certain that though her son may have been an alcoholic, he was first A Child of God. I proposed the thought that since God knows everything before we act or speak a word, AND ordains the number of our days (Psalm 139), could it be that He saved her son spiritually years prior because He foreknew this crash was inevitable? Could it be that Our Creator cared enough about His creation to let her son’s life of torment end abruptly while sparing innocent lives? Could it be that since our Merciful God redeemed her son that he is now in heaven with his Creator?

She hugged me with both arms and we cried. Yep, right there inside the doors of the Rec Center just 10 yards away from that kiosk! We cried from pain but more so for the grace of God who called my Meagan and her son by name. I looked into her eyes and said while pointing upwards, “They just beat us there.”

Ignoring the onlookers, we said our goodbyes and parted ways. As I was catching my breath and proceeding with the kiosk transaction, my home group friend’s words pierced my heart:  May I be in the right place at the right time for the right person with the right words. OMGosh! God did it again! I ran in the rain to my vehicle before I cried a bucket load of tears. Not only did God jerk me again outside of “the world of ME,” but He also used me way outside of my comfort zone to minister to a hurting mom about her alcoholic son. 

I saw a vision of my Meagan in heaven—a victim of alcohol abuse! And, in heaven, that lady’s son—a victim of the disease of alcohol! Then, I pictured OUR SAVIOR JESUS—laughing with and loving them both. ONLY GOD.

All ye sinners come home!