Michael is doing well, he has remained strong and healthy. I'm going to start getting him into his Standing Frame on a regular basis. We haven't gotten him standing regularly for some time now - lots of different reasons and excuses. That's the thing with making progress, there are excuses and reasons, if we don't eliminate the excuses then the reasons make progress very difficult. The Standing Frame supports him so he can stand with all his weight on his legs but it prevents him from falling, it's really a pretty cool device. The weather is changing!! I'm hoping to get him outside more, the nurses will be doing this also, we're lucky to have a nice walking park close to the house when he's with me so he can see birds - that he loves so much - and just get outside. We've been told over and over that stimulation is the best medicine for brain injury- you can't make dead brain cells alive again but you can stimulate live ones and that can do amazing things. Things are going well for Michael at my house or his mom's it's good - God is good.
So you may have heard about Natasha Richardson who feel skiing, the report is now that she is "brain dead". I hope this isn't accurate, that God is with her and steps in for her recovery. I also hope we take note that life can change in an instant. Today we have lots of things we're fighting for, upset about, happy about, things we plan for tomorrow, for next year. For any of us in an instant life can change and all those things that made up our life are suddenly irrelevant. God reminds us of this in James 4 - 15.
James reminds us that in a moment life can change and we can see that every day we live. Romans 8 reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ, which is free to us by accepting him.
Jesus is my Lord, Master of the Universe - he is God of all and he is my friend but life sucks sometimes. I can also say; Life sucks some times but Jesus is still God, he knows, he cares and he's my friend. Both are true, completely! I don't even think this is a paradox, we just see it as one because we think it should all be good and easy. There is more to a relationship and faith in Jesus Christ than making our life good. The knowledge and trust in Jesus Christ is powerful, it IS life changing, there is nothing in this life that can take away from that and he does "make it all okay". Still, I think sometimes people who are going through stuff or who are sympathetic to others who are going through stuff might even be offended by our Christian version of "Life's Good". One might say that it doesn't make any difference whether Jesus is God or not, it doesn't change my situation, Life still sucks, I still hurt. This is somewhat true, maybe it's kinda the point. We base our life on good and bad a lot. We pretty much categorize everything in life as good and bad, we may justify the bad with "reasons" but we still label it good and bad – black and white. Maybe God can see color where we see only black and white and maybe every shade is a unique opportunity to know him differently.
I’m not making light of pain, not at all. I experience some pain and it hurts, it is real and it doesn’t go away just because I trust God. There are people I love that have some bad stuff in this life, I know they hurt and I hurt with them. I look forward to a day when I can hear my son’s voice and we can talk together. Life sucks sometimes! But, why does this throw us? The Bible is full of example after example of hurt and pain and suffering. Personally I think that God doesn’t get into the things near as much as we do, I do not believe he is nearly as concerned with the things as we are – we can’t see past them, he wants us to see through them to him. We probably more see him in the things and blame him, or we get stuck on why, we’re stuck on the things.
If we will stop focusing on the things, the whys, the hurt, the pain as well as the fun and success and start focusing on Jesus Christ we can have a better, deeper relationship with him. The things will still be the things, at times life you will probably feel “life sucks” but your friend, my friend, who just happens to be, creator of all, Master of the Universe will be right there with you, with me, going through the things with you and with me. Romans 8 is awesome -
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I think we can learn something from the show Life on Mars. If you don’t know the show you should check it out. Sam, a policeman is hit by a car and left in a coma, but then he wakes up in 1973. I’m not sure why the writers picked 1973 but the story is good and can be a picture of life for me, as a follower of Jesus Christ. In the most recent show Sam, the guy in the coma in 2008 makes a step toward “accepting” his situation in 1973. He says that he’s going to start living in 1973 because there are people who are worth it – then he says as long as he’s living there, in 1973 he’ll always be looking for his way home. This is so good for those of us who are looking for another home, not in a different location but a different time. Sam realizes there is a lot to live for right where he is, in his current circumstances, in his current time. It’s interesting that, at that same moment he realizes this, his boss in 1973, calls him friend.
As a Christian there is a lot to look forward to, a lot to hope for in another place and time, there are friends that I miss, one especially that I really would love to see and talk to. We hear the song “I Can Only Imagine” and we can relate, we can only imagine what it will be like to see Jesus, to have no more tears, to finally live as we as humans were intended to live. We will see those who we have lost, to have those who we love whole. I look forward to this, for my son, for my family, for my friend, for others. Still I am here, I am living here and now and there are people all around me here and now, relationships, circumstances - life. Sam sees those people and decides they are worth it. I wonder how many of us can’t see those around us, they aren't woth it.. We’re here in this time and place – whatever this time and place is and there are people all around us to love. I should, we should – as followers of Jesus who are looking to go home – we should live as Jesus lived in the time and place we have. Forget about all the "why" stuff and live today where we are. When we accept where we are God can begin using us where we are.