A Divine Legacy.
My Uncle Bruce is a Jesus follower and is the only other pastor in our family. He served as a bi-vocational pastor in a church in the Salem, Oregon area for years, and more recently, as the chaplain in his long-term care home serving as a pastor to the other residents.
A number of years ago I traveled to Salem and asked Bruce to pray a blessing over me as a pastor. I felt it was significant – one generation passing the baton to the next one.
It is a moment I will never forget. It was a sweet affirmation of the divine calling on my life to shepherd the flock, disciple people and equip the saints for the work of ministry.
Joining Our Hearts in Prayer.
Two weeks ago I asked the church to pray for my 89 year old Great Uncle Bruce, who was in critical condition with Covid-19. We joined our hearts in prayer and later that day he made an amazing turn around.
Initially we were praising the Lord for the healing that was happening, and I was imagining how the Lord would get glory from raising him up from certain death. The vision I had was Bruce returning to his care home and praying with great faith for others who are afraid and isolated. I wanted to hear stories of how he was able to minister to others far into his nineties. He was beginning to leave a legacy to his great grandchildren, and to nephews like me.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord.
Then everything shifted and his health declined rapidly within the week. A few family members were allowed to see him late last week. Ultimately, Bruce passed away last Saturday morning, isolated from those who love him most.
When I received the message while sitting on the couch in Tahoe on a mini retreat, my heart sank and my eyes filled with tears. If we love, we grieve because grieving is just an extension of loving. I didn’t cry because there were words left unsaid; recently I was able to honor and bless him via FaceTime before he fell ill. My tears were not regret or a feeling of sadness for him – Bruce is infinitely more happy in heaven being reunited with his wife and sister. There was a sadness in me because my hopes had risen as I saw Jesus heal Bruce, and it confused me that he would get better just in time to die.
Our Hope is in the Lord.
My friend Alyssa Read famously says, “Hope is never foolish.” I love that phrase. It’s what immediately came to mind when I heard that Bruce had died. If our hope is in the Lord (not just an optimistic feeling that things will somehow get better) then it is right for my hope to rise. It was not wrong to pray for his healing. I never want to give up praying for someone to be healed unless they specifically tell me they are ready to be with Jesus. Bruce’s current wife was certainly praying that he would live, and though he said he was ready to be with Jesus, it didn’t mean that he didn’t want to live a bit longer to enjoy being with his new wife of only five months.
So I grieve. And I am wondering what God is up to. These situations where we are confused with God’s answer to prayer should lead us to a place of watching for what He is doing that we weren’t aware of before. My plan for Uncle Bruce was to still have powerful ministry with his new wife and other residents of his care home. God’s plan clearly was to take him home to be in perfect health in the peace and presence of Jesus.
As soon as I got the news that he was home with Jesus I said to myself, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Translation: Jesus, you know what’s best. Help me to get on the same page with you. Thank you that you do all things well, and your gifts are perfect in timing and context. Please give me your view, heaven’s view of this situation. I choose to grieve, not as one without hope, but with faith that I will see Bruce again. This is not a farewell, but “a see you later.”
We stand on the promises and character of God.
I’ve begun to realize that when Bruce’s work was done on earth, Jesus came to bring him home. Jesus could have completed the healing, but He chose to heal him perfectly in death. Perhaps with all the Covid-19 rules, Bruce’s ministry could not continue. Is it possible that with all the restrictions of this season, his life on earth would have lacked the meaning that it once had? These are things that I won’t know this side of heaven, but I can trust that God has a plan and purpose in all things. He even has a purpose in death.
So, I will not let this situation keep me from praying for others. I won’t allow my faith in God’s goodness to be shaken because my plan didn’t play out. As I choose faith over fear, I stand on the promises and character of God. I will keep believing that God can and will heal. Now I will pray that the timing and circumstances of Bruce’s death will bring honor and glory to God.
I have faith that even in our death, Jesus will write a story in the hearts of others and bring His Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.
A New Opportunity to Share Hope Each Day
We all need to continue to be encouraged to keep hope rising. One way we do that here at NC Chico is by writing the weekly briefing each week, so that if you have subscribed to our briefing on this blog, then you receive a message each week.
Well, we all need our daily boost as well, so we are offering you the opportunity to subscribe to a daily "text" of encouragement that will be sent as a text message right to your phone.
If you would like to receive a word of encouragement each day, text the word Encourage to 530.296.3689. You will be added to the list to receive an encouraging scripture or quote from me each day.
I look forward to seeing all of you who choose to worship with us in the Dome this Sunday at either 9:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. All safety precautions, masks, and social distancing apply.
You can also live stream our 11:00 a.m. service on Facebook and YouTube
If you missed last week's message, "The Invitation To Peace in a World Gone Mad" by Kathryn Redman, click here.
