Only one life
Twill soon be past
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
C.T. Studd, the great missionary to China and the continent of Africa, wrote this poem. This simple verse has stayed with me for my entire Christian life. It reminds me of what is important in life and I have reminded others of this idea on numerous occasions in sermons, words and writings. Follow God. Yes, count the cost but live your life sacrificially to serve others.
Here’s the problem. I didn’t realize that I was going to have endure my son doing this to me! It’s fine for me to follow God and to go live in a few different US states and three foreign countries, leaving loved ones behind in the wake of this for the sake of God’s kingdom. But wait a minute! I didn’t sign up for my son to tell me he is doing the same thing to me! He and his family are moving to Florida because he and his wife think that God is leading them there. The audacity!
To make matters worse, he got a job as a worship leader at a wonderful church almost instantly right after making the decision. And on top of it, I knew that moving to Florida for them was God’s leading! But all this didn’t make me feel any better. He is taking from me “my men”, my two wonderful grandsons, Asher and Judah. And a brand-new granddaughter born last week, Naomi. Go live in Florida but leave my grandchildren here!
I love my precious son, his wife and these three beautiful kids. It hurts that he is leaving and that hurt may never go away. I will miss them but especially the kids. I love kids. I guess that’s why God gave me six of them. But it is either live with the agony of them leaving and being gone or me giving them to God and trusting that he knows best. So I surrendered them to his will and now I have peace. Am I happy about all this? No.
You know what? I have decided to look at this now in the long term. One day, me and “my men” and Naomi will be together in eternity and then we will be able to go outside and play forever!