Seeing God's Hope

Wednesday June 24, 2015

This past Sunday, I had some downtime in the afternoon before picking up Brandi from work so I decided to go and jump in our building pool..we have been living here almost 3 years now and this probably only the 6th or 7th time we used the pool..it was super refreshing.  I got a bit emotional as I was thinking about church earlier that day.  Kathy and Tiffany Thurston came to share about the Bloom Conference happening this weekend (praying that God uses Tiffa and her entire team for His glory) and also celebrating the 1 year anniversary of our dear Charlie passing away on June 8, 2014. What Kathy shared as a wife to a husband who died so suddenly, hit me dead center.  It reminded me of a few things:  1)  I was blessed to have Lori around for 2.5+ years after her diagnosis, 2) I was able to tell her goodbye and hug her and kiss her multiple times before her passing on May 31  and 3) God is not done with me yet...He has a plan for Brandi and I to live out independent of each other, dependent of God for His provision and will and dependent as 2 of the remaining 3 Nakamoto musketeers.

As I was cruising in the pool, I kept saying to God..its me and You Lord, its me and You...You are going to have to provide me with Your peace, Your comfort, Your joy, Your void filler cause Lori is now with You.  I kept saying that prayer (statement/request, whatever you want to call it) over and and over again.  It was based on Kathy sharing that even in Charlie's passing God was still with her when before he passed, when he passed and since he passed and that was the same promise for me...God was with me when Lori was here, He was with me when she passed 3 weeks earlier and He is still with me now...and He is not done with me yet.

Then this ray of light in the pic pops up...God's light of hope, of comfort, of promise that He has in store for me as well as Brandi as well as all those who came in contact with Lori.  It was a subtle yet profound reminder from God..that He is in control of things and that I can be reassured that Lori is with Him and rejoicing and that my work, my purpose, my legacy is still intact to glorify Him and to live out Lori's legacy as well.  I was overwhelmed by God's encouraging gorgeous natural beauty and I also felt Him say, "I got this Sean, you and Brandi will be okay!" Then I heard Lori say, "God's got this Sean, you and Brandi will be used for the glory of God...I love you both!."  I was reassured by God that He has this all under control..

So wiping my tears away and listening to Overwhelmed by Big Daddy Weave, I go upstairs to shower and cleanup before I pickup Brandi.  I check my email, and I see this email from DesiringGod.org...John Piper's website who I so value their presentation and interpretation of God's word.  I highly encourage you to read this in full:

God’s Surprising Plans for Your Good

Ben Stuart / June 21, 2015

Why does God allow trouble to plague his people? How can it be considered loving for him to permit trials to run wild in our lives?  I gained fresh insight into these questions while watching a spellbinding four-minute video called “How Wolves Change Rivers.”

A slightly-too-exuberant, yet-delightfully-British narrator recounts the changes that resulted from the entrance of a pack of wolves into the eco-system of Yellowstone National Park. It turns out that deer overpopulation had left massive portions of the park barren. Constant grazing had turned valleys into wastelands. The lack of vegetation had caused soil erosion, which destabilized the banks of the river, slowing the flow of water. The lack of sufficient water and vegetation, in turn, forced wildlife to move on. In short, life was fading from the park.  Then a pack of wolves moved in.

Do you think it would be life-enhancing for a pack of predators to be released into a national park? I imagine your initial response would be, like mine, “No, that sounds terrible.”  But it turns out that it was the best thing that could have happened.

Wolves and a World of Good

The wolves predictably killed a few deer, thinning out the population. However, this was not the most significant change. The remaining deer were forced to move to higher terrain and abandon the grasslands of the valleys.  These areas that had been mown down for so long then began to regrow at an accelerated rate. Aspen trees quintupled in size in less than six years. This brought back birds to nest in the branches and beavers to eat the wood. The return of the beavers meant the return of beaver-dams, which created pools that allowed for the repopulation of fish, otters, ducks, muskrats, reptiles, and amphibians. The wolves also cleared out some of the coyotes, which caused rabbits and mice to return. This led to the return of hawks, weasel, foxes, and badgers.  Yet the most amazing impact occurred in the river itself. Because grasses were allowed to regrow, the soil collapsed less, allowing for firmer riverbanks. This gave the river-flow greater direction, which reinforced the animal habitats.  In short, the entrance of a few wolves created a whole world of good in Yellowstone National Park, transforming wastelands into lush valleys teeming with life.

So it turns out that the best thing to do to promote life was to release a few wolves into the valley.

Difficulty Brings Blessing

Why mention all of this? Try for a moment to imagine a board meeting where, after hearing desperate pleas for help to save the aspen trees of Yellowstone, a park ranger responded by saying, “I’ll tell you what will ensure reforestation: a few more wolves around here!” Would anyone have taken him seriously?  In the same way, I think we would accuse God of being insane if we heard him respond to our cries for greater intimacy with our spouse, greater fruit in our ministries, or greater intimacy with him, by saying, “You want more life? I’ll tell you what will give it: a medical emergency. Or losing your job. Or a car accident.” We would think he’s out of his mind.  But search your past and tell me if it isn’t true: Often the introduction of something difficult, and even dangerous, into our lives by the hand of God results in unanticipated, yet undeniable growth. Difficulty brings blessing. Hardship brings joy. Wolves change rivers. This does not mean we should court danger. What it does mean, however, is that we should pause before we accuse God of injustice or indifference when he allows hardship to enter our lives. It just might be the best thing for us. In fact, for those who love him, and are called according to his purposes, it will be his working to produce his best for us.

Count It All Joy

James certainly thought so. In James 1:2–4 he went so far as to say, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  James was so certain that the introduction of difficulty into our lives carries the potential to bring blessing that he calls us to rejoice, not only after the trial has ended, but even while we are still in it.  This does not mean we need to pretend that difficulties are pleasant. They are not. Nor does it mean we should not pray to be delivered from, or seek to remove, hardships from our lives. Both are permissible.  However, we have much gain hope from this realization: Often our loving God sees that bringing something unpleasant into our lives will lead to a thousand good consequences. Therefore, as a good caretaker of our souls, he will allow wolves to enter for a season.

So when hardships come, we can cease shaking our fist and yelling at God, and instead lean into him and listen. He is good. He does care. He works all things together for the good of his children — even the arrival of wolves.

Wow!!!  What a great lesson.  The cancer in Lori, although it was harsh and ravaged her body...it was done for her good, for our good..because in this trial (wolves coming in), relationships were put front and center in our lives...making new ones, making current ones better and more meaningful, and repairing and restoring broken or strained relationships.  There were so many blessings in the battle that Lori fought...there was Hope!

Thank You Lord for this revelation, for this word from You...for Your encouragement, for Your hope, for Your promises...to You be the glory and may the fruits of Your labor in Lori, in me and in Brandi be sowed 10fold because of Your faithfulness and will.  Love you Lord and to You are worthy of my praise and honor!

Aloha all.  Until next time - Love God/Love People!

Aloha God - Aloha People!