seeing the bigger picture. One must try to be a stubborn visionary in such times as these. Persevering through something like that is an empowering experience after the fact. After praising God whilst standing over your son's grave, life's mundane problems pale in comparison and the thought of future hardship is no longer intimidating. The sun is rising. It helps in a huge way that stories continue to roll in about the impact Aiden's story had on people all over the country. I have been blessed to speak with and counsel people all over the country who were impacted by God's move in Aiden's story and that helps me see the eternal impact of our temporary grief. People from far states vacationing at Disney have come by the church just to share their Aiden stories with me. In the coming weeks, I will be baptizing people who gave their lives to Christ after hearing Aiden's story and that is the most amazing source of joy and purpose in all of this. Though the duration of our grief be lengthened 9 trillion times, it would still not yield a measurable fraction of the eternity for which these transformed will be in heaven. Facing that big picture perspective, I would endure it all again. "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us and eternal glory that far outweighs them all." -2 Corinthians 4:17.
The learning curve is steep right now, but what I've gathered so far I share with you as believers and non believers alike; that Christians who are also facing dark difficulty should hold steadfast to faith and see the greater purpose in sharing one's grief for the cause of bringing people to Christ and that those who are not Christians simply MUST ask the tough questions right now. "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope." -1 Thessalonians 4:13. If you don't know God personally, my heart goes out to you. As an old friend of mine who is about as dedicated to atheism as one can be wrote to me, "What will I do when my world falls apart?" If you are not a Christian, the time to think on the morbid is before it visits you; not in a morose fashion, but by considering objectively the hope Christ offers in the face of an unavoidable reality. The time to weigh eternity is now and not when it is entirely too late. Daunting though the prospect might be, the risk of a misspent eternity demands at the very least a revisiting of one's ontology. Assumptions and misunderstandings of God's truth left incomplete by the discomfort of contemplating eternity are simply not adequate ground on which to stand in light of the 100% consistent data regarding those among us who will eventually face death. "Regret" seems too soft a word to describe that felt by the one who finds his assumptions to be eternally incorrect. It does not need to be so. Consider the risk. Consider the futility of pride in these matters. Consider now the blinding light of God's immense love for you. There is beautiful audacious hope and his name is "Jesus." May you meet my son Aiden one day and share in the stubborn joy God is teaching my family right now.
The learning curve is steep right now, but what I've gathered so far I share with you as believers and non believers alike; that Christians who are also facing dark difficulty should hold steadfast to faith and see the greater purpose in sharing one's grief for the cause of bringing people to Christ and that those who are not Christians simply MUST ask the tough questions right now. "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope." -1 Thessalonians 4:13. If you don't know God personally, my heart goes out to you. As an old friend of mine who is about as dedicated to atheism as one can be wrote to me, "What will I do when my world falls apart?" If you are not a Christian, the time to think on the morbid is before it visits you; not in a morose fashion, but by considering objectively the hope Christ offers in the face of an unavoidable reality. The time to weigh eternity is now and not when it is entirely too late. Daunting though the prospect might be, the risk of a misspent eternity demands at the very least a revisiting of one's ontology. Assumptions and misunderstandings of God's truth left incomplete by the discomfort of contemplating eternity are simply not adequate ground on which to stand in light of the 100% consistent data regarding those among us who will eventually face death. "Regret" seems too soft a word to describe that felt by the one who finds his assumptions to be eternally incorrect. It does not need to be so. Consider the risk. Consider the futility of pride in these matters. Consider now the blinding light of God's immense love for you. There is beautiful audacious hope and his name is "Jesus." May you meet my son Aiden one day and share in the stubborn joy God is teaching my family right now.
