Vol II: #94 Facing Loss
I didn’t know which direction Bill Johnson would go in the aftermath of his wife’s death. My best guess was that he would preach sooner than later, and I hoped he would let us see his process. And, a mere three days after her passing, Bill stood on stage and told the world that God is good. He declared it through tears and without jokes, though his humor made a few appearances over the hour he was on stage. He let us in on his pain and how he missed his wife. In all my life, loss and grief have driven more people away from the Lord than science or logic. (People tend to find the “facts” well after the pain takes root.) For Bill to do what he did on Sunday morning was miraculous and- for me- his finest hour.
My entire life I’ve observed people in their moments of pain and heart ache, some self-inflicted, some not. And, I experienced by own versions of loss and grief. What I can firmly proclaim is it’s not if we experience pain but when, which leads us to a choice: to sit at the Lord’s feet and hold onto to hope…or sink into despair and anger. Unfortunately, we are encouraged to define our lives by how we’ve been victimized and/or abused. And real as those horrors can be, it’s not healthy to identify with the worst moments of our lives. That’s the plan of the enemy, to pull our heads down and cover us in doom.
To echo Bill, I’m not entitled to anything. And, I certainly will not tell the Lord how to be God. But, I will hope. In the days to come, whatever comes, I will expect the Lord’s presence to go with me wherever I go, and for Him to fulfill His promises. When the losses mount and the pain is great, I want to stand on my stage and say God is still Good!
