WATCHWORD:
9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. John 15:9-10
Meditation:
Tough Love 2
We continue with that fundamental question: How can an all-powerful, all-loving God allow good people to experience such suffering? And why does it often seem that some people are immune to such experiences? If God is in the cutting and pruning business, explain why I hurt so bad while others do not seem to hurt at all or at least quite as much?
Some years ago, I attended a David Jeremiah gospel event at the Coliseum in Fort Wayne. His message that night dealt with “Endurance” in our Christian walk, even in the face of adversity which tends to discourage us and drive us down.
As I listened to Jeremiah, I was reminded of God’s gifts of Peace and Grace, and the question of how are we using these gifts? In other words, what am I giving back to God? How is my life a reflection of God’s love? If we believe that everything that touches our lives, both good things as well as the not so good things, those things that we might call adversity, it does raise the question how are we embracing that adversity? How are we accepting it and building from it?
William Frey was an Episcopal bishop, originally from Colorado. In his book, the “Dance of Hope”, he recalls how he volunteered to read to an older student named John, who is blind. One day, when Frey asked John how he lost his eyesight, the boy described a chemical explosion at the age of 13. He said it felt like his life was over; he felt helpless and hated God. For the first six months, he did nothing but stay in his room, alone. But then a curious thing happened. One day his father entered the room and said, John, winter’s coming and the storm windows need to be up. That’s your job. I want those hung by the time I get back this evening. Then his father turned and walked out of the room.
John was so angry that he thought, who does he think he is? Who does he think I am? I’m blind. He was so furious that he decided to do it, believing that if he fell off a ladder and hurt himself in the process, his parents would feel even worse. So, he felt his way to the garage, found the windows, and located the ladder, all the while muttering under his breath. I’ll show them. I’ll fall, and they’ll have a blind and paralyzed son.
Eventually, he got the windows up before evening and in the process, he came to realize that he could still work and that he could begin to reconstruct his life. It was a breakthrough for him. He also said, years later, I learned something else important happened that day: the entire day as he worked to get the windows, his father was no more than three or four feet from him.
We don’t always know for sure what the vinedresser is doing; we rarely understand God’s purposes, especially when our lives are caught up in a hurricane of wind and rain or a hurricane of medical results and handicaps, or the deep grief that follows the loss of a spouse. But Jesus says, “You can’t live apart from the vine. To claim your place on this vine, you have to abide.”
Abide. It’s not a word we use very often. It’s a powerful word. It means to remain, to stay, to endure with. The way that Jesus uses the word, I think what it really means is cling to me, even when it hurts and you don’t understand, stay with me.
When bad events happen, the temptation is to run, to deny, to turn away from God. Yet, God is there. It’s a time when abiding in Jesus would be most important. God hasn’t betrayed. God is there, even in this tragic moment.
Abiding in love can be hard. When a relationship is strained, or you are faced with disappointment, or feel betrayed or, perhaps a negative diagnosis, it just seems easier to walk away, than to abide. Yet, that word abide defines how we live as Christians in community – how we endure our relationships how we endure matters of health. I believe that the strength of an active Christian is that we stay. We endure. We remain. God is in charge! We will abide! Amen!
Closing Prayer Hymn:
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me. Amen.
