The Apostle Paul, who suffered greatly while on earth, provided remarkable insight into what motivated him to continue to move forward in the midst of overwhelming adversity:
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the trouble we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever (2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 NLT).
John Henry Jowett, reflecting on this great truth, speaks directly to my heart as I watch Linda suffer even as her medical providers, nursing staff and caregivers do everything possible to make her comfortable: “God can make us stronger than our circumstances and can turn each situation to our good. In God’s strength we can take the darkest disappointment, break it open, and discover a precious jewel of grace inside.”
My Testimony
Even though I have spent my adult life seeking to understand, and share with others, the correlation between our time on earth and our eternal destiny, nothing has taught me as much as watching Linda live out the final chapter of her life on earth. Specifically, since the fall that fractured her hip on January 29, I have experienced greater sorrow than I have ever known. Each day, as I feed her, read the Bible, sing, and carry on one-sided conversations in which I reminisce about our long life together, I am tempted to despair. At the same time, I am astounded that God continues to fulfill His promise to me: “…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus”(Philippians 4:7 NKJV).
A Shared Worldview
Foundational to our shared worldview is the belief that out of all the nations on earth, God chose Israel to bring redemption to humankind. Even though I academically grasped this truth early in my ministry, at best, it was polite adherence. As I explained to her, I wanted to focus on living in the present. With Linda, it was an entirely different matter; she grasped it at the very core of her being, and her zeal in making it known, especially to me, can be understood in terms of the widow and the unjust judge. Rather than risk being beaten black and blue, I began to listen with my heart. Obviously, I am relating this somewhat in jest; however, in reality, I have moved from polite adherence to wholehearted commitment. If she had been able to hear the students at the Asbury Awakening proclaim their desire to see the Jewish people brought to Christ, her rejoicing would have been off the charts. Hold that thought — I am going to revisit it in the next paragraph!
Linda’s Message
The picture accompanying this week’s blog came to me through a providential series of events. In 2007, my son-in-law Sam and I conducted a series of Ministerial Training Conferences in India, and Linda spoke on December 2 at The Bridge, the church we pastored in Buford, Georgia. At that time, we were a little over four years into our journey into the “Long Goodbye,” and her cognitive difficulties were at worst a minor inconvenience. I had no idea that a video of her message existed until I recently received a copy from a faithful congregant who had recorded it on a home camera. As I listened to her encourage the youth to grasp the enormity of the debt that the Church owes to Israel and her longing for God’s chosen people to come to Christ, I cannot explain the appreciation and admiration that I felt for her as she, with great conviction, eloquently proclaimed a message that a significant portion of present-day believers choose to reject, but that God is awakening the youth to proclaim.
Future Ministry
When my young orthopedic surgeon recently shared with me that I presently need a knee replacement and will in the future need a hip replacement, I kiddingly told him that I will deal with the knee first and hope that God will mercifully take me home before I have to deal with the hip. His response was to the point: “God will take you home when you have finished all the good work that you are presently doing!” Sermon delivered — I am being forced to face the fact that Linda’s departure will not negate my responsibility to share the truth that God has entrusted to me, just as she has throughout her long fruitful life.
Ron Harvard Ministries 