Shining Through Darkness
Sometimes it is really hard to understand why God does what He does. But He is still God in every situation and everything He does is good, not matter how it empacts our hearts or lives.
Matt Chandler has been huge influence in my life toward a passionate love of Jesus and he is going through some really tough stuff at the moment. He had part of a malignant brain tumor removed (but the doctors couldn’t get it all), and no one knows what will come of it at this point. No one wants to say it, but he could die. He could die as a result of the tumor or in surgery or he could die peacfully in his sleep when he’s 83 after a lifetime of passionate service to the gospel.
But no one knows, and a malignant brain tumor is about as serious as it gets. Through this situation I have cried my tears for me, for him, for his family, and for the church. And I caught myself asking God why. Why would He do this? Why would he take a man who at 35 has done more for the gospel than most people will do in their entire lives?
But that is before I was rebuked by the testimoy of Matt, himself, that he gave in a video before his surgery. I have never seen Christ so honored in the midst of such dire circumstances. If you haven’t seen the video, you really need to: you can watch it at http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/blog/pastors/?p=363.
He also posted a blog post on the morning of the surgery that made me weep all day. You can read it here: http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/blog/pastors/?p=357.
The Dallas Morning News did a story on it and I think God was honored through it.
So please, pray for Matt and his family and the church. And pray for me, it is hard on me as well. But more than anything pray that Christ would be honored through all of this and that the gospel would shine brightly.
Christ is all.
