Dear faithful readers, both of you, I want to express my deep gratitude. Over the past few months, life has not allowed me to write very often, though it is something I love to do. Writing relieves stress and allows me to express thoughts I cannot work into future Bible studies or sermons. With that said, I hope to write more frequently.
This past Sunday, my sermon dove into one of the most traumatic moments of my life. I have provided a YouTube link here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d7AIa7EtfE In this message, I shared the story of my GPA Hamacher’s accident. I know, I know, I must be Irish. I was 5 years old when a drunk driver hit GPA’s truck. I will direct you to the video for complete details.
Suffice it to say one of my earliest memories was of significant trauma. We talk a lot about trauma these days. I will be the first pastor to shout that having a Pastor and a therapist is OK. Get the help you need. When I was growing up, counselors weren’t often spoken of; frankly, we would not have had the money to go that route. I learned to navigate this darkness on my own. Please note this was not something I lived with 24-7. As I thought about life, loss, and God’s fairness, it came and went.
If you’ve served God for more than a few days, you have likely said to God, “This is not fair.” We want God to be fair. Remember, fairness is defined by our minds and our way of thinking. It is subjective. In the end, God is more concerned with your formation than fairness.
Was it fair for Moses to put up with the people of Israel?
Was it fair for David to be wrongly accused by his son?
Was it fair for Paul to endure such an overwhelming life of tragedy and hurt?
Was it fair that Jesus had to die for the sins we committed?
The answer to all of these is a resounding NO! It was not fair, but formation is more important than fairness. In the natural, none of this is fair, but it does accomplish the will of the Father. Your tragedy, hurt, or loss forms you into the man or woman God wants you to be. I do not believe God is the cause of our suffering, but I know He is powerful enough to redeem my suffering. Think of the words of Joseph, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Gen 50:20
Note the last statement, “Save the lives of many people.” God has always been about salvation, indeed the salvation of the Jewish nation as a people. Yet, this all points to our ultimate salvation through Jesus Christ. Formation is hard. It hurts. Let the Lord redeem your hurts and bring life and light into your darkness.
I used this beautiful quote on Sunday in my message. It is taken from the book Treasures in the Dark by Katherine Wolf. She writes, “Ignoring loss, denying grief, numbing out pain, or strong-arming our souls into premature closure are all such tempting tactics…Before we can heal, we have to grieve what’s been lost…To take its full form, resurrection requires both life and loss” (pg 4).
“Resurrection requires both life and loss.” While we all want to avoid pain, that is natural; I do not want to miss out on a moment of God’s forming my life.
God redeemed my GPA’s accident. The tragedy turned into triumph the day he gave his heart to Jesus after the accident. He survived the accident but died about four years later. I know that I will spend eternity with him. God is a God of redemption. With eternity before us, God will even redeem my lost time with my GPA.
Though it was traumatic, walking through his accident at 5 taught me so much about trusting our good-good Father. So, my dear readers, rather than bucking the pain and crying out for fairness, maybe, just maybe, it is OK to embrace the pain and let God form us into His image.
Through Time 