When He Calls Us Home

An excellent question from a reader about a difficult topic. 

I hope you don't mind but I thought of you after receiving some devastating information about a friend who has been battling cancer for 2 years and has now been put on hospice. I've contact you because I know we share a common faith. I cannot wrap my head around the purpose of taking such a vibrant woman of faith home and away from her family, including two young children. 

I am grasping for some level of direction/understanding from others that I know who live a God centered life . . how can I support her - knowing she has "gone to the well" many many times, trying to maintain her faith in the Lord thru all of her painful trials . . . what words are there to offer in such a difficult situation . . .

I'll understand if this is too much of a burden to reply to; however, your words have moved me many times to thinking in a new christian perspective. Thank you for that . . . prayers of love and light to you and your beautiful family. Enjoy each and every second of this blessing!

I know Lisa's story as well, and it's certainly a sad situation.

I'd like to, if I may, ask you to think about this from another perspective - God's. He's not taking her from her home, He's allowing her to actually go Home. It's never easy to leave children behind on this earth, but God didn't create us to serve the world or our children, we were created to serve Him. Part of our service to Him is to eagerly join Him when He has called us back to His arms.

I had many of these same questions when I lost my 16 year old cousin and her dad (my uncle) in a roll-over accident. Jodi was a bright, beautiful, Christ-loving person. I wondered aloud why in the world God would allow that life to be cut short. I was coming at it from a human perspective however. God allowed my cousin to live for 16 wonderful years here on earth before calling her home. That's 16 more years than any of us deserve.

Think of it this way - God has no concept of time (at least as it relates to us). He's already set the beginning and the end of the race. It just so happened that Jodi and Lisa were running a bit faster than the rest of us  Their race is over, and they ran it well.

The only thing we can do in their memory is run the race as well as they did.

As far as what to share with Lisa - I think Paul's life is a great starting point. Paul suffered for Christ unlike many of us will ever experience, yet, he still rejoiced. He knew that the life we live here on earth is but a speck on the continuum of time.

There are times in life that we suffer, only for the fact that we can rejoice in being saved by a Savior who will in a short time, take away all of that pain.

Hope this has helped, even if just a little bit. God bless, and I will continue to pray for peace in this situation.