I believe all of you sitting here today have experienced an indescribable pain: the pain of losing a child. It is easy to get discourage or become bitter, and start asking yourself: why this happened to me? Perhaps, I think one main reason is because we can't see the final big picture that God has of our lives.
If you own a puzzle, you know that in the front of the box there is a picture of what it is supposed to look like. It might be a beautiful sunset overlooking the ocean or a beautiful landscape. But if you take only one piece out; and isolate it. You will say "look at this little funny piece, it makes no sense, it's a mistake, it won't fit anywhere, it's an odd shape, awful colors, there is nothing beautiful about it". But the fact is, that piece has a perfect place. It has been already fitted, planned, and very carefully designed. When the other pieces come together, it will fit in perfectly. The reason why we don't see it now, it is because the pieces are not all in place yet.
Sometimes, we look at pieces in our lives that don't make sense, events like the one we all share today in this place, and we say, this is not right, this piece couldn't be part of God's plan, it is awful, this can’t be a real piece at all. But I learned that I have to trust God, even in the most painful times, like the time I was desperately helpless holding all of my babies as one by one they all died on my arms.
On the surface, that piece doesn't make sense. But God doesn't make any mistakes, He already designed all the days of our lives, down to the smallest details. In the Bible God doesn't say we will understand everything that happens along the way, He didn't promised that we won't have any heartaches, setbacks, disappointments, pain, or suffering. But He did promise that at the end it will all work out for our good.
The key is what we do in times of pain? Pain will change us. Pain doesn't leave us the same. After losing my triplets I didn't come out like I was before. I was changed. You can come out with a new passion, a new resolution, a new purpose in life. A passion that I've seen in many of you that I've meet in this place.
The pain enabled me to understand more parents like you and me. It has given me the boldness to approach grieving fathers when I see them sobbing at their own child's grave, and be able to tell them: “I understand your untold pain, you're not alone, I'm here, God will always be with you; and let me pray for you”. What the enemy meant for destruction and defeat, God has used to bless many, and in the process it brought comfort and healing to myself and my wife.
“He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we
can share that same comfort with others in trouble.”
(2 Corinthians 1:4)
Going back to my little piece of the puzzle. That night when my last child passed away. It didn't make sense, I thought my dreams to become a daddy were over. But now you can look at the entire puzzle. My then painful "test", has become my "test-imony". God made a way, were it didn't seem to be a way. If it wasn't for his love, his comforts, his mercy, his miracles and his healing, we wouldn't be here. When you have experienced this kind of pain, you have been given a gift, you have been uniquely qualified to help others that will experience the same painful situation.
I discovered that in my pain there was a blessing; I will never forget my babies in Heaven, because I know one day I will see them again, the pain was not in vain... The pain will become an un-containable never-ending joy.
Have your pain been wasted in vain?
(This post was based and inspired from an amazing pastor, and it has given me so much encouragement that it deserves to be shared to as many as I can, to be a light on a hill top, and shine to others in their moments of most need)
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