O, The Blows of Life!

How they do come, out of the night, and in broad daylight – with the screech of brakes, and the crunch of metal, and the blood of sudden death hurled down upon someone so near and dear to you that words cannot describe the despairing pain of losing the life of someone you just can’t live without.
 
Of course, it is not always the horror of the highway. More often it is the unbidden pain of some invading alien presence in the delicate balance of your own body’s life. You don’t know how it entered, or made progress through your bloodstream, or into a critically important organ. And, ominously, it grows and takes over space that does not belong to it.
 
In a thousand ways the dark invader comes, and we pray and pray, and see wise doctors and rejoice when victory is won, and the invader is defeated. Until the next visitor appears. And we cry out: “Is this life? How can this be?”
 
When we’re “young and strong” it seems we could last forever. We eat and sleep. We exercise and “take care of ourselves.” And then – the visitor. The unwelcome visitor.
 
An email came this weekend that a beloved colleague’s sister died in an automobile accident. The children with her are in hospital. “How can it be?” we ask.
 
But, we know how. Because, this is the world. This IS life. The forces of darkness are there, all the time. “The Devil goes about, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour,” Jesus said, long ago. In our fallen world, which began as a garden of innocence and new life, as God’s wonderful creation began.
 
But the Tempter came, with his insinuating suggestions, and the idea of power was planted, and taking it away from God, and rising up in pride ourselves. And serving self was born – not others. Not God.
 
And there is that human battle we all face – the dark forces that work to blot out that wondrous Light of Life and Love that Jesus brought, and is.
 
Time teaches us. And God knocks on the door of our heart from almost the first day, telling us to look up, to look out, turn to Him, and be ready. So we will not despair, not go down in defeat, not give up, not give in.
 
Oh, the world is so beautiful. And people are so precious. And blessings are poured out upon us in such abundance. Then the sudden surprise comes, and we learn loss, and grief, and loneliness. But also Hope. And Help. And Love. God’s love. And wisely we learn to navigate this strange world of strife, of Good and Evil.
 
And the great challenge is to become PEOPLE OF THE WAY. The way that was sent to us by God, through Jesus His Son, Who Himself faced the cross, and betrayal, and death. Yet, through it all showed us that He is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, and is Himself our Hope and the ANSWER.
 
And, as we learn it, we are privileged to be the bearers of that great answer, that great hope for human life, in the world – the hope and healing of Christ the Lord. Oh, yay! Good News!
 
Love to you, in these days.
Arthur