Giving and Taking

I was recently informed that my friend has advanced breast cancer and it seems to also be in her lymph nodes. As I have prayed for her, I've thought about the children she has raised, is still raising and the powerful influence she has had directly on 10 lives. Several of her children are involved in various sorts of ministry so in essence the impact her children are having is indirectly her influence too.

I've been thinking about Job a lot because the children and I are reading through the book of Job together. Without fail there has been something in each of the 24 chapters we've read so far that has caught my attention and caused me to pause and think.

Thinking about my friend and Job, I've thought about giving and taking. Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

In my human mind I tend to think of the giving to be a good thing and the taking to be bad. Surely when Job cried those words he was of the same inclination. What I see in Job though is the set belief that no matter what, God is good. He is worthy of our praise. Even when our children are all destroyed in one day and our wealth and health have been taken from us, God is good and blessed be his name.

I've been thinking over things in my life, looking at the hindsight of being a Christian for 17 years, come the first of May. Things that were given and things that were taken away. I have been given a testimony I did not want. I wanted to cast it off and run from the burden it brought with it. I've had things taken away. Relationships, family, friends.

The giving and the taking didn't seem good at the time. At the time persevering seemed impossible and overcoming wasn't a thought in my head. I didn't understand the giving and taking that God was doing in my life and I thought I needed to grasp what he was doing right then when the pain was so intense. I thought if I could just get what he was doing it would somehow lessen the intensity of what I was going through. But in hindsight I can say that Jesus does do all things well. Blessed be his name.

So back to my friend. I want God to heal her for His sake. She is a beautiful testimony of what a christian woman ought to be. She brings glory and honor to his name. I don't want her example taken from among us. But the giving and taking of her life is not within my power. God has ordained life and death.
Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.