As a youngster I was enamored with using a magnifying glass to start fires. The glass magnifies the sun’s light and focuses its intensity into a fine dot which can start a fire. To do this one need only hold the lens at such an angle as to focus the sun’s light into as small an area as possible. Place some tinder under this spot and it will soon start to smoke and hopefully catch fire. Later in life I learned that a drop of water on the glass can intensify the sun light even further.
Currently my father is gravely ill and in the hospital. As of last night the doctors could not determine what is wrong with him, but he is too weak to walk, has no appetite, and is in pain literally all over his body. He is 91 years old and has Parkinson’s disease.
I spoke with him at length yesterday and he mentioned that he wanted to do the Lord’s will for his life, but he is tired of the fight and wants the Lord to call him home. I choked back some tears as he weakly told me that he is homesick. My mother died and left him a widower after thirty some odd years of marriage and then he remarried for 35 years and then my step mother Betty recently died and once again left him a widower. Today he is lonely, old, feeble, very sick and is ready to die.
He told me that he had a discussion with his pastor and spoke to him about being ready to go on home to be with the Lord. He told the preacher that in James 5:16 it states, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” and he looked at the preacher and told him you are a righteous man. The preacher carefully looked at him and asked dad if he wanted him to pray that the Lord would take him on home.
Dad answered that he didn’t know; he wanted to do the will of God, but he was ready and had been ready for some length of time and was really “homesick”. I mentioned to my father that he was an inspiration to many in his church and even at 91 was still being used by God to serve His purpose. I told him that I was sure that is why God had not “called him home” yet. He has taught Sunday school for forty some odd years and still teaches a Sunday school class of 12 men every Sunday. He begins preparing for it on Thursday and he must be pretty good, because he has offered to step down numerous times and the class will not stand for it.
He was recently honored as being the oldest member of their church and up until his illness a few days ago faithfully attended services every Sunday and even drove his car from the assisted living facility where he lives to get there.
I mentioned to Dad that eternity is forever, but we only have a tiny amount of time to serve God in our current capacity in this vapor of a life we have been afforded. I realize that he is tired of the fight, sick, weak, and ravaged by pain. God realizes it too, but continues to allow it because it serves His purpose and the Bible unequivocally states that it is a good purpose.
I asked my father to try his utmost to focus on God and not himself during this period of time. Focus like a magnifying glass on God’s energy and there is no telling what kind of fire God will ignite. I added a few drops of water on the lens of his magnifier with my tears yesterday and I’m sure they will intensify the flame that God has ignited through him.
We too should focus on God and not ourselves. We will be forever young soon enough. We will be healthy, free from pain, devoid of sadness and sorrow and happy as a frolicking fawn on a spring day. It will be a time of great celebration to enjoy the victory that Christ won for us on the cross. And in ten thousand years we won’t even be warmed up. We should cry out to God that His purpose be done; there is nothing wrong for pleading for mercy against the pain and suffering, but God’s will be done should be our focal point.
I don’t pray for God to take my father home; I pray that God will comfort him and that His will be done. Dad is tough and has served God well all these years and who knows God might heal him right back up and keep sending him to teach his class for another 10 years, or maybe He will call him home today to be reunited with his loved ones. Whatever I’m satisfied that God’s decision will be the right one and perfect in every way. I don’t question Him and have faith that His purpose is the right purpose. Selah.
1 Peter 2:24
He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.