He Make No Mistakes

I believe that sometimes God brings people into our lives to fill voids that are left by people we lose. Today is the 20th anniversary of my mother's death. It is hard to believe it has been twenty years, I remember it like it was yesterday. Of course, I guess that is not something you forget. She died from lung cancer about a month after she was diagnosed. I asked the Lord to take her quickly because I did not want her to lie around and suffer. God, graciously, answered that prayer. During her last ten days in the hospital she had only allowed them to give her morphine once and that was when I first took her in. After that she refused to take it and, yet, she was in, almost, no pain. The doctors told me and my sister that they had never seen lung cancer spread so fast and they couldn't understand why she had almost no pain. I understood - we have a gracious God. He answers prayer. There are times when it seems I don't miss mom at all. And then there are times when I miss her greatly. I wish I could tell her I love her just one more time.

There is a couple that goes to my church, they are in their 80's now. I adopted them as my parents about, I don't know, twelve years ago, or so. I even call them mom and dad. They have two grown children that I love like they are my own brother and sister. But, today, around 3 p.m. their daughter, who I love like a sister, went home to be with her Lord. She had brain cancer and was 60 years old. She died on the anniversary of my mother's death. I have, now, lost a mother and a sister on the same day. It is hard even though I know she is in Heaven. I guess that is the selfish part of me. I wish I could have seen her one more time, but it wouldn't have been enough. It is a great comfort that I will see her again, someday. The thing that makes it even harder is that her dad, who I have adopted as my own, has leukemia and is dying, too. He is very weak and has lost a lot of weight. And, yet, he and his wife, whose health is also not good, must face this tragic loss. I wish I could, somehow, just make it all better. I feel so helpless. Today is a rough day for me but not nearly as rough as it is on them and their son.

There is one thing, though, that I want to say because I do not want to leave any doubt in anybody's mind about what I believe. And that one thing is this: God is good! He is in charge, not us and He, always, knows what's best! He is gracious, merciful, patient, and longsuffering, and He cares more about His children than we can ever understand. His ways are perfect and He makes no mistakes. He Is the Great Comforter!!

I have, already lost a dear friend this year. And now I have lost two. And, probably, will lose dad before this year is over. He is anxious to go! He has been asking the Lord every night, for years, to get him out of here before morning. But when that happens it will still be hard. It is not the time to let go of God when we go through these tough times but, rather, the time to cling tighter to Him. As the song says, "His strength is perfect when our strength is gone." I am not a big fan of contemporary Christian music but those words do fit at a time like this. But here is a better quote, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Proverbs 18:10. I am so glad that He avails Himself to us and we can run to Him and be safe no matter what. I hope those who read this know that peace. You can - by taking Christ as your Saviour today.

In Christ's Love,

Richard