Reflections

It's a travel day for me. My wife and I are going to the funeral of my brother-in-law. He died recently of COVID. It was sudden and drastic and unexpected. He had some of those risk factors, but he was only in his mid-50's and it was so quick. It might be the kind of thing that makes you go, "Where was God in all of this?"

Well, before he contracted COVID their daughter was planning to move out with her boyfriend to another state. She was leaving mad. Mad at her father and mad at God. Full rebellion. Except when all of this hit she stayed. She even posted requests for friends to ask God to heal her father. Now, hang on ... didn't we just say that she was mad at God and mad at her dad? I can hear Joseph now: "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." (Gen 50:20)

In the midst of the crisis I watched a husband and a wife with tension between them boil it back down to the important. I watched kids who weren't exactly pleased with their father suddenly realize the important and rally around him. I saw hundreds of people turn to God in prayer. Literally hundreds. I saw this and more in the midst of the worst crisis this family has ever faced.

I live on Ephesians 1:11 -- God "works all things after the counsel of His will" -- so in the midst of sickness and loss, tragedy and sadness, trials and tribulations, I can rejoice that God is doing what is best and God will be glorified. What more could I ask?