Matthew 26:36-39
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
It has taken a lot of soul searching, prayer and meditation over the past two weeks but, in His goodness, God has answered the question that has plagued me for the past thirty years. That question was; why did my nephew Allen have to die? God may not have caused his death but, He allowed it to happen. Allen’s wife Sandy, said at his funeral, “Allen wasn’t looking to die in the Middle East, but he was willing.” To answer the question as to why God allowed Allen to die, God reminded me of the fact that, because He created us and knows us intimately, He knew that it would only be through the blood of Jesus, He did not take the cup from Him, that He would be able to rescue some. By the same token, God also knew the environment in which Allen was raised, and God knew all about what it would take to rescue some of those in Allen’s circle of family, friends and acquaintances. I am one of those that accepted Jesus into my heart after Allen’s death. Also, in the weeks and months following Allen’s death, his mother received many cards and letters from people who knew Allen, attesting to the fact that Allen’s sacrifice was the principle reason they accepted Jesus into their hearts. Allen did not save me or them, but rather, like a good Scout, he pointed us to Jesus, by imitating the example made by Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Being satisfied that God answered my question to my satisfaction, I thought my quest was over but, God was not finished with me. He made me realize that for all these years I had been suppressing my need to forgive Him. That was now easy because, I know that God is holy and He is a good God and He knows the plans He has for us. Allen is in a better place. He is in the presence of Almighty God. Just look at what Psalms 116:15 tells us, ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.” Allen was a servant. He could have stayed stateside after the death of is young daughter, but he wanted to return to the Middle East to be with his buddies. God has certainly used his sacrifice to make a difference in the lives of so many of his friends and loved ones. Praise the holy name of Jesus!
Make A Difference
I want to quietly make a difference,
To the quality of human life.
To encourage the lost and dying,
And numb the sting of sorrow’s strife.
There is hope for everyone,
There is a way to see the proof.
Accept the gift of Calvary’s cross,
Then humbly embrace the truth.
The truth is that you and I,
Should live our lives like a tree.
Living merely to make a difference,
For the rest of humanity.
When called upon we should serve,
Even if its against the grain.
Living our lives to make a difference,
By the power of Jesus name.