Even when things don’t go your way, God is faithful! Do you need to be encouraged today? Have you lost all hope? Are you ready to throw in the towel with your present situation? Has a miscarriage so undermined your faith?
Are you ready to throw in the towel with your present situation? Click To TweetIn the earlier months of my son Eddie’s young marriage, he and his then wife suffered the loss of a child in the womb. A miscarriage came so early for them. It ripped my poor boy’s heart right out of his chest. It was one of his first experiences with deep searing grief. The life altering heartbreak of grief gripped by poor boy! It was one of the few times I witnessed him cry convulsively. All I could do was be there for him to lean into me and cry it out. Which he did. As I was praying for him, her, their marriage, and their loss the Lord impressed upon me a song to give to them as an encouragement. It’s a song sung by Chris McClarney, reminding us of the faithfulness of our great God. Little did I know the place of this song in my heart in the future years.
Fast forward to a hospital room at St. Joseph’s hospital, 2013. My 26 year old son lay in a coma as we were rallied together in prayer and desperation waiting for him to wake up around the clock. I remember the moment I shared this song one more time, with his then wife reminding her that God is the God of hope, that waiting is the right thing to do, that we will wait as long as needed, fully and completely supporting the life long challenges that will come once Eddie did wake up. Oh did Marie and I believe He would! He was a strong survivor. It was then I took out my phone to play this song and worshipped Jesus right there next to Eddie’s bedside. Not one brief moment did Marie and I lose hope that our son would awaken out of his coma if he would only be given the chance to heal and regain strength. We waited moment by moment for that wonderful day! It didn’t come.
Our son Eddie went home to be with His Jesus. He is forever relieved and redeemed in the presence of His Savior. Not one moment has God been unfaithful. There hasn’t been a second that has passed that God has not been reliable. Things did not go the way we desired. Decisions were made that we did not support. But God is faithful! We love Him with all of our heart, even through, especially through the searing pains associated with the death of our Son. Grief stinks. God is faithful.
Even when things don't go your way, God is faithful! Click To TweetReceive this song as my encouragement to you.
God of Our Yesterday, Chris McClarney
When we were in the darkest night
And wondered if our eyes would ever see the light
You were there Lord
When we were in the stormy gale
And wondered if we’d ever live in peace again
You were there Lord
You were there in the struggle
You were there in the fight
You were there all the time
We praise You, the God of yesterdays
We praise You, the God who is here today
We praise You, our God as tomorrow comes
And whatever lies ahead
Whatever road our grateful hearts will come to tread
You’ll be there Lord
We will fix our eyes on You
And know that there is grace enough to see us through
You’ll be there Lord
You’ll be there in the struggle
You’ll be there in the fight
You’ll be their all the time
We thank You for grace in our yesterdays
We thank You for peace in our hearts today
We thank You our joy as tomorrow comes
We will trust God
You’re always closer than we know
Always more involved and in control
We will trust our lives to You
The one who was and is to come
This is so beautiful Pastor Ed! I lost my little brother 12 years ago under very similar circumstances. He lay there with severe brain damage after a work accident. Three days later he went to be with our Lord. I also lost my father to a work accident when I was eight years old. Your words of encouragement about how wonderful and loving our Lord is is the TRUTH! He will never leave you! Especially during the difficult times of a loss. Thank you for sharing your story and the song. I love hearing your sermons every Sunday. Your delivery and the way you teach the Word is amazing!
I remember when your son was in a coma. I prayed so hard for your entire family. I am still so sorry for your loss. It saddens me so much. I watched how you and Marie handled that loss. I know it was difficult but you still love God.
I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2016 the same year my mom and best friend passed away. I had an 8 hour surgery in which I had a hysterectomy and had all the cancer in different areas scraped out of me. I had chemo for 16 weeks and then went into remission. In February 2018 the cancer came back and I found out I will have cancer for the rest of my life. I will have chemo for the rest of my life. I was in shock and I cried. How would I live my life like that? As you say, Pastor Ed, God is faithful. He hasn’t left my side nor will He ever leave me. He uses others to help my husband and myself. He uses me to encourage others. I don’t know what the future holds but I know who holds the future. I take it one day at a time and I love my God so very much.
Thank you, Ed for your blog. It’s inspiring. You understand pain which many of us are going through and you still love God. I pray He will continue to hold you and your family up with His righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
God is faithful. He hasn’t left my side nor will He ever leave me. Amen
Thank you so much for your thoughts from your heart about these issues.
I really hate this thing called death. I really never understood why it had to happen when I was a child.
It seems that death as been apart of my life since I was 5 yrs old when my father died on a motorcycle I was devastated.
Then my grandmother when I was 23 something I did not handle that very well either.
Then my wife’s father in 2008.
A Christian friend that went to Calvary in 2009.
Then my sister in 2017.
Then I had to endure the death of animals for 30 years at my job almost every day.
I am just sick if this thing called death.
I found out 22 yrs ago in 1995 when I was saved why death happens because of sin but that did not stop it.
I long for no more tears, no more death and for the old order of things to pass away and for everything to be become new with no more death.
I am grateful that I am no longer dead in my trespasses and sins. I am grateful that I am a new creation in Christ. I am grieved that there are still so many people in this city that are lost and are at the edge of eternal death.
I am greatfull for God, Jesus, you, this church your family. My life changed for the better because of your salvation and teaching Ed. Please don’t ever stop you make a difference. You give us hope and inspire me like Jesus does.
Gby
Dale Keith
Diana and I continue to lift you and your family in prayer. Thank you for sharing your heart and staying the course.
MC
Pastor Ed, my wife and I attend Calvary of Albuquerque with Skip Heitzig. Back in 1979 my wife and I were still newlyweds when our first son Joshua Keli Shinn was born. We had thought about either Jason or Joshua and finally landed on Joshua, the Hebrew name for Jesus. His middle name Keli came from the Hawaiian name Terry; my wife is Terri and her mom’s maiden name was Terry. Joshua was healthy and happy. At almost 4 months old, he died of SIDS and went to be with the Lord. We were unbelievers, but I knew that he was in heaven. I thought, “am I ever going to see him again?” “Am I going to heaven?” I really had no true assurance; I didn’t even know what the gospel was all about.
The following week I was invited to Calvary Chapel of Riverside, now Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA with Pastor Greg Laurie. He (as always) preached the gospel. I admit I really still didn’t understand it; I was grieving and just wanted to talk to somebody. I went forward at the altar call. The next Sunday my wife Terri went forward. From that point we began to understand that we are sinners, but Jesus dies for our sins and rose from the dead to conquer death. What an incredible new life we had!
Years later in Albuquerque I was teaching bible study to new believers. I was studying in 2 Timothy 2:21 where Paul describes believers as “vessels of honor”. I looked up “vessel” in both Greek and Hebrew. In Hebrew, the word for vessel is “keli” meaning vessel, tool, instrument. So our son was named after Jesus – Joshua (Yeshua – God is my salvation) Keli – vessel or tool or instrument to lead us to Christ. We knew that we really didn’t name him, God did!
I can’t say that I understand your grief, considering that you knew and loved your son Eddie for 26 years. To me that is much more difficult than what we went through. But I do know that when we suffer as Christians, we definitely grow closer to the Lord. And yes, I agree that it sucks and it is often so very painful! But “we know that God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:28-29
I pray for you and your family. Keep on serving as you have been. You are a blessing!
Thank you! I read this on my lunch break and it helped me continue my day remembering to trust Jesus. It’s a good reminder that everyone goes through disappointment so we need to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.