God Is With Us
There is a Tennessee Williams quote that I love, "in memory everything seems to happen to music." I think this is so profound. Music can take me back to memories in my life like nothing else. Listening to certain songs can even bring back smells, tastes, and feelings. Truly. For instance, every time I watch The Sound of Music, I get the taste of watermelon flavored bubble gum in my mouth, because I was chewing it the first time I watched the movie.
I also think God speaks to us through music. One of my favorite hymns is "I want to walk as a child of the light," by Kathleen Thomerson. Now, this has not always been one of my favorites, but in recent years I have come to love this song. I couldn't stop singing it during the month of July. Mrs. S. had never even heard the song! (If you haven't, please click here.)
Anyway, Friday I was listening to this song, in order to learn to play it on my guitar, I suddenly felt this overwhelming need to check on a man I know who has cancer. I had no idea how he was really doing, but something about this song said to me "you need to check on him." His daughter told me that it was not good, and asked for prayers. I was too embarrassed to tell her this song made me feel the need to ask about him - it seemed odd, in an unearthly way. That afternoon I read my devotion for the day, which was focused on the Gospel of John, specifically where Jesus began to weep when he learns of his friend Lazarus's death.
The more I thought about these two seemingly unattached things, I began to think about all the ways God works in and through our lives, and how it sometimes seems so unearthly that it is creepy. At the same time though, that is the most comforting thing to me about God - because it shows that he never leaves us, he is always with us, and he is constantly working for the good in our lives. I even began a blog about this Friday afternoon, but I just couldn't get any sort of resolution to these thoughts. It seemed unfinished, and I left it to finish later.
Last night I learned that the man I thought of Friday, passed away yesterday. As I sit here and pray for his family, I can't help but think about Jesus weeping over his friend Lazarus' death. Of all the things Jesus could have done, he wept. You see, because Jesus walked this earth as a human, "he has known our sorrow fully, intimately, painfully." Jesus knows exactly how this man's family and friends feel, and thus we are assured that God is faithful in the midst of our agony.
Now, what I am about to say next is going to sound unbelievable. Let me first say that I have an incredible memory. I can quote, word for word, testimony in trials and hearings that we hold at work. So, keeping this in mind, I remember about ten years ago, this man was studying Romans Chapter 8. He had this serious discussion about it with his daughter, who relayed it to me. All these years, whenever I think about Romans Chapter 8, I think about him. Last night, I read through Romans Chapter 8, and was blown away by the following verses:
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is working into something good. (The Message.)
I truly believe that God is before us, God is for us, God is in us, and God is through us. I think that is exactly what these verses are saying. So, even though I don't know how or what exactly to pray at this moment, I know that God knows and "his spirit is right alongside helping us along." I am pretty sure Mr. M knew this, and I will forever smile and think of him when I read these verses. Requiescat In Pace: MS
I also think God speaks to us through music. One of my favorite hymns is "I want to walk as a child of the light," by Kathleen Thomerson. Now, this has not always been one of my favorites, but in recent years I have come to love this song. I couldn't stop singing it during the month of July. Mrs. S. had never even heard the song! (If you haven't, please click here.)
Anyway, Friday I was listening to this song, in order to learn to play it on my guitar, I suddenly felt this overwhelming need to check on a man I know who has cancer. I had no idea how he was really doing, but something about this song said to me "you need to check on him." His daughter told me that it was not good, and asked for prayers. I was too embarrassed to tell her this song made me feel the need to ask about him - it seemed odd, in an unearthly way. That afternoon I read my devotion for the day, which was focused on the Gospel of John, specifically where Jesus began to weep when he learns of his friend Lazarus's death.
The more I thought about these two seemingly unattached things, I began to think about all the ways God works in and through our lives, and how it sometimes seems so unearthly that it is creepy. At the same time though, that is the most comforting thing to me about God - because it shows that he never leaves us, he is always with us, and he is constantly working for the good in our lives. I even began a blog about this Friday afternoon, but I just couldn't get any sort of resolution to these thoughts. It seemed unfinished, and I left it to finish later.
Last night I learned that the man I thought of Friday, passed away yesterday. As I sit here and pray for his family, I can't help but think about Jesus weeping over his friend Lazarus' death. Of all the things Jesus could have done, he wept. You see, because Jesus walked this earth as a human, "he has known our sorrow fully, intimately, painfully." Jesus knows exactly how this man's family and friends feel, and thus we are assured that God is faithful in the midst of our agony.
Now, what I am about to say next is going to sound unbelievable. Let me first say that I have an incredible memory. I can quote, word for word, testimony in trials and hearings that we hold at work. So, keeping this in mind, I remember about ten years ago, this man was studying Romans Chapter 8. He had this serious discussion about it with his daughter, who relayed it to me. All these years, whenever I think about Romans Chapter 8, I think about him. Last night, I read through Romans Chapter 8, and was blown away by the following verses:
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is working into something good. (The Message.)
I truly believe that God is before us, God is for us, God is in us, and God is through us. I think that is exactly what these verses are saying. So, even though I don't know how or what exactly to pray at this moment, I know that God knows and "his spirit is right alongside helping us along." I am pretty sure Mr. M knew this, and I will forever smile and think of him when I read these verses. Requiescat In Pace: MS
Comments
What a beautiful and loving tribute to Morris. He was loved by many and loving to many. I grew up attending the same church as him and today the sermon was about God being our strength and helping us through. It was a difficult service for all of us who knew and cared for him. We hold him and his family up in prayers and we will miss him and his gentle, loving spirit but walk in comfort knowing he is with the Lord.
God Bless,
-Meredith