Sacrifice or something like it

There are limited times, you see, when a child will still listen to their father's "important" instruction. I am not sure whether that window has eclipsed with any of my children yet, much less Jada - whom I seem to be getting an inordinate amount of time with lately. What I do know is this; while I try to make sense of this journey of faith for myself I will drag along any who are in my path in hopes of enhancing others' vision of Jesus.

So, with that clearly in your sites, understand that I brought the "Job" book written by John Piper to the hospital for my own purposes this week. I sat on my bed/couch to begin reading it last night. Jada glances at me and says, "will you read me that Job book - I like the picture on the front?" I hadn't thought of it yet - but already a few pages in, I decided to grant her request, and climbed in bed with my daughter ready to explain every 3rd word of the book to her. The pictures are detailed and for that matter obvious question inducers for a child Jada's age. "No worries," I think, "I got this under control. I am an educated man and can answer her vocab questions."

The story picks up quickly and Jada is not drowsy at all - which I thought she would be considering the drugs already administered and the fact that chemo was only a 1/2 hour away. We get to the point (don't worry, there are no spoilers of the book in this blog, just observations) in the story where Job is pictured over an altar with a lamb making a sacrifice for his children's sins and he is earnestly pleading with God on their behalf. The quote reads, God - "O man of God, today again you seek the precious lives of ten young souls. Now tell me, with your heart, would you be willing, Job, to part with all your children, if in my deep counsel I should judge that by such severing more good would be and you would know far more of me?"... Job - "O God, have mercy on my seed. I yield to what you have decreed."

Jada processes. . .

I turn the page and begin to read the next one. She clutches my shoulder and says, "Dad, was God asking Job to put his children on the altar instead of the lamb?" "In a nutshell, yes he was honey." "Why? because Job was already killing lambs for his children?" "Well honey, we can't rightly get at God in our comfort - we know him best when we need him most. Jada, it would be like you praying to God and asking him to help you know him better. When he responds he says to you, 'I am going to take all your toys and your health because it will teach you to cling to me above anything else and that is GOOD.' make sense sweetie?" Her brow furrows up while she makes that adorable smile and half whispering she says, "it seems like God always wants what's hardest to give."

Deep breath, sigh, and remind myself that cancer for a 5 year old is a crash course in applied theology more than anything else. "Jada, the book of Romans says that God is working all things together for our good if we know Jesus. So, you decide if its hard to give him what you want to hold on to OR if it is trusting that what He is doing in you IS good. You see honey, because God IS GOOD (that is part of His unchanging character) all He does is Good, even when it does not seem like it. What he was telling Job was, 'trust me Job, you think what you have now is great, wait until I give you a better definition of great.' Jada, I want you and I, and our whole family to echo the words of Job, "I yield to what you have decreed."

I pray that as God challenges you with this concept you will make a personal commitment to trust Him over and against relinquishing our comforts. Think about it for a moment, you don't think I would like to rewind 8 weeks and have things the way they were? There are days, to be sure, where this is exactly the sentiment. Be that as it may, Jessica CONTINUE to experience the smile of God in a thousand manifest ways daily. That is reason enough to stay the course - God HAS Promised that we will not be overwhelmed, or tested beyond what we can bear, or left as orphans, or that this trial will result in anything BUT good. So, yes, Jesus, Jada is not ours - she never was - we are just her parents as stewards tending to the blessing from you she represents to us.

At this point I'd be curious to know what your thoughts are - post a comment below.