Tragedy
There is no more painful tragedy than that
attached to apparent success that isn’t. A loving couple yearn for a baby as
fruit of their union. They become pregnant and everything goes as it should. A
baby boy is delivered and is perfect in almost all respects. Except the boy is
missing something that allows him to digest food. While he was attached to his
mother, her blood had delivered all that he needed to sustain himself, but that
was gone at birth. And when doctors notice it, it is too late. The couple can
feed their son, but he cannot digest it. And so within a day, that perfect boy
will die. He is too young to operate on. And there is not enough time even if
an operation were attempted.
Who can describe the pain such a couple
feel? They aren’t unique, such tragedy does not happen often, but that it has
even happened once is just wrong. It is natural at such times for people to
turn to God and ask why? How is it even possible that such a thing could happen
if God existed? If God were loving, why wouldn’t he fix it? And so in grief,
those that do not know God have their fears confirmed. But those that know God
are confronted and challenged.
The God that the atheists do not believe in
does not exist. It is a ridiculous being, composed of artifacts of culture,
that combined are impossible. But the God named in the Bible is real and worthy
of great praise. He is present at such tragedies, and He does the impossible of
loving and healing the lamenting couple, who are helpless. The Hospital staff
who are wounded by the grief and sadness and the baby boy who will too soon
rest eternally with Him are comforted by Him. A lifetime of love is given to
that baby by his parents that day, and the memory of him will be life long. So
much that was hoped for will never be. There is pain in the world, that is made
clear by His word. But that will not be, come the time when He sits in glory at
his throne.
The miracle of life, the grace that is
experienced in every loving relationship: that is a gift that God has given us.
We do not know why there are such tragedies or even what they mean in the great
scheme of things. But such challenge can be met with perseverance. It would be
a bigger tragedy if life were inconsequential.
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