Here we are, Saturday morning and looking at what promises to be a fun evening and a nice weekend. Tonight will cap off what has been an emotional journey for many people, the Tim Chick Benefit. The Benefit has brought many people together to help a family whose son is battling what I consider one of the most dastardly illnesses around, Cancer. Tim was diagnosed with a brain cancer after one night of frightening events for them. The great part of it is that the community has come together to help this family and be able to help defray some of the expenses that they have incurred with the treatments that Tim has been traveling to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to go through. The events of this week reminds me though of the Scripture passages that I preached on just last weekend, John 9, 1-42.
The passage that I refer to describes an event where Jesus and his disciples come up on a blind man, who had been blind from birth and Jesus performs a miracle to cure him of his blindness. We find out through the scripture that the man was blind due to no sin by himself or his family, he was born blind. Bad things happen to good people, just like bad people may not necessarily get the judgement they deserve. This week for our community is a reminder of this very concept. This week we prepared for the Benefit, we also pondered the 1st Anniversary of the death of a great teacher and friend, Tracey Williams. Our hearts have been confused between sadness for the loss of our friend and the celebration of a life continued living. Therefore the question, why does bad things happen to good people like our friends Tracey and Tim. We know there are so many other good people out there as well who have had bad things happen but yet the question never gets a good answer.
The best explanation that I have been able to pull out of the scripture that I spoke on last weekend may not necessarily comfort us but will challenge us. It will challenge us to continue to pray and to worship God because of our desire to follow him and his teachings, not just when it is comfortable for us. The scripture illustrated to us that if we were to ask God to take away our suffering only during times of need and duress, and if he granted it, then we would get used to following him and asking him for assistance because it is comfortable and convenient and not because of our love and commitment to Him. No matter why we suffer, Jesus has the power to help us through our sufferings. We shouldn’t pray to him asking him why this issue would happen to us or what we did wrong, we should instead ask for strength and guidance and direction to help us deal with the issue that we are confronting.
Bad things do happen to good people, unfortunately we see that in our day to day lives. As we continue through our lives we must continue to pray, to love and continue to live the life that God guides and directs us to. Our daily discipline will be the biggest reward for us once we cross over into the Promised Land that God will provide. Tim will continue his battle with Cancer, Tracey will wait patiently for us to join her on the other side, we must do what we can to honor God and prepare ourselves for that time but until then, we must continue to Love, and to enjoy the Challenges and Benefits.