I have never really thought very much about a "pause button" until Robbie Sutton spoke at his grandmother's funeral the other day. He shared that he could not get his family's attention so he reached over and hit the pause button on the television. Suddenly folks stopped what they were doing and began to listen to what he had to say.
During these past days, God has hit the pause button for me. Maybe I need to explain. I cannot think of a day within the past two years that I have not thought about and even talked about cancer. Cancer is a way of life for Diane and me. And, it is often through the conversation of cancer that God gets my attention. But then God called me to be present with families who lost loved ones to the grave - two funerals in four days. It is as though God hit the pause button on my personal cancer journey and allowed me to walk the grief journey with folks that I love.
One family is dealing with the death of a 35 year old who can now sing the song, "My chains are gone. I've been set free. My God my Savior has ransomed me." Another family is dealing with death of an 84 year old who has served in the church for over 70 years. And yet, due to stroke and CHF, she also can sing, "My chains are gone. I've been set free. My God my Savior has ransomed me."
I am thankful that you and I can also sing that song. Because of our God our Savior, we too can be free to be joyful. And listen to even better news; I don't have to depend on a win from any of my Tarheels sports teams (and boy ain't I glad?). Win or lose, they don't give me my joy, and they cannot take my joy away! I don't have to depend upon the bad decisions of those in government, or even the difference in opinion that I might have with religious leaders. I don't have to depend upon the results of scans or tumor marker numbers. And when I do, God might hit my pause button.
Maybe it took God hitting my pause button to remind me of that. Maybe Thanksgiving is a great time for God to hit your pause button.
Think about it.
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