If Only I Could…. I Would. I would “take that” for him.
As a younger man I had numerous surgeries. Most were caused by athletics, a few from my own Hale bravado.
I can remember my parents telling me when I was sick, after an injury, or before a surgery, that they would gladly take my place if they could. That they would do this for me, that they would “take it”…. if only they could.
I heard what they were saying but I never really understood the sincerity of their words, until I had kids of my own.
Watching someone you love go through a bad time in life, a sickness, a set back, watching them hurt, is hard. When it is your child, it is hard…. exponentially.
Two mornings ago I watched my oldest son, an athlete with a college football career on the table, limp slowly through that door in the photo to have his knee put back together.
Four weeks prior to that I had watched his high school football career suddenly end, on the opening kick off of homecoming, and I have watched him hurt, both physically and emotionally, since that night.
I would take it from him, and carry it for him, if I could. I would take the pain, the hurt, the surgery, the rehab, everything.
I’d take that from him, and make it my own…. but I can’t. I can love him and support him along the way, but he has to carry it.
I have learned that God looks at us the same, and differently, than we look at our own children….
He looks at us the same as he wants to carry us, as His children, through our tough times, our setbacks, our trials and storms.
He looks at us differently because we are not just His children, we are His creations, and that inspires a level of love that we can not fully understand. It’s just not possible.
So, why do bad things happen? Primarily, because we live in a fallen world, but also….
Too shape us, mold us, test us, prepare us for the reason, the purpose, the mission He sent us here to accomplish for His kingdom.
The thing is, while we can’t carry the ones we love through their trials and tribulations on this earth, we can’t “take that” for them…. God can.
I can only speak for myself but I am a walking testimony, that when God says I love you, I want to encourage you, I’ll carry that…. “I’ll take that”, through Christ,…. He means it.
All you gotta do is make the decision to let Him have it.
Get In The Boat. Do Your Part.
From Nose To Toes!
Shane / #16
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