Suffering

Today I dedicate my post to Logan Clark Stoltzfus. It is his 2nd birthday, but sadly I have never had the pleasure of knowing this little guy. The Lord took him home soon after my very dear friend, Kara, gave birth to him. I can't even begin to know what that pain is, to lose a child...all I know is the joy of loving them. Kara is a strong woman, she was before Logan's death, but she is certainly even more so now. She is not one to let this tragedy in life get her down. She has been able to talk, cry, even blog about her pain. She has stood up and wanted to do something, to help others feeling this same sense of loss. I admire her desire to get back on her feet, although I know she had many of days when she didn't want to get out of bed. I know there were days she did not see God's hand in her life. I am sure she often felt how David felt as he wrote many of the Psalms, like Pslams 13.

1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

We often can't help but wonder or question why God would allow a life taken so young, so new? We can often ask these questions about anything in our own lives. We may never know why, but we can certainly rest in knowing He is a mighty, sovereign, and Holy God. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and is omnipresent. He is with us, even through our darkest and deepest pain. He knows the deepest pain of loss, of giving His one and only son for our ugly sin. Not only did Jesus die, a death on the cross, but he experienced the pits of Hell. There is no greater punishment nor pain, and he took it upon himself even though he never deserved any of it! Oh the pain God the Father understands! He did it all for me! Unbelievable!

As we suffer through our own personal pain, I pray that I would be like David rejoicing in salvation, and trusting in God's unfailing love. Despite David's pain, he sang to the Lord "for he has been good to me". I want to do the same! Today I lift the Stoltzfus family up in prayer, and grieve with them as they face the suffering of losing their son, grandson, brother, and friend.