He does not deal with us
according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as
the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those
who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our
transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the
LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers
that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a
flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place
knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to
everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s
children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The
LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:10-19 ESV).
“But…
Don, you don’t understand how hard it is.” I’ve heard those words (or some very
similar to those) many times when encouraging others to look beyond this moment
to a day God is even now preparing for each of us. I must confess that I don’t
know exactly what you may be experiencing in this moment of your journey. However,
I want to share one experience that may be an encouragement to you at this
time.
It
was during the days before the Pandemic of 2020 that Mary and I traveled to Ft.
Worth for a routine procedure for Mary. All was good. The procedure was more of
a precautionary measure just making sure her cancer has not spread and was
under control as much as the blood work seemed to indicate. Well… it turned out
to be anything but routine. After a while I was called back to recovery since
the procedure required some sedation. After a few moments the doctor came into
the room and informed me that EMT’s and an ambulance had been called to
transport Mary for emergency surgery to repair a tear he had made in her colon.
My
world was flipped in a moment. Thankfully Kyle was able to meet me immediately
at the hospital. Later he would tell me how much of a “basket case” I was. The
surgeons came in to tell us what needed to be done. It was in that moment that
I realized how fragile and fleeting life is. The surgery was successfully
completed about 1:30 am. Fortunately I was able to stay with Mary in the room.
The nights were long and surprisingly quiet, interrupted only by the nurses and
doctors who came to check on her. During those quiet interludes I was reminded of
the words in our reading today. They are both simple and haunting: “The life of
mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows
over it and it is gone.” Though these words may give us pause, they must not
lead us to despair, for we can also be sure that “from everlasting to
everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him.” God’s love is with us
and will not let anything separate us from him (cf. Romans 8:38-39). That is
the foundation for real gratitude!
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