I recently listened to a new cd by the author Tedashii. It is a very moving and deep piece. It is a demonstration of what he wrote in his journal over the past year. For him, it was a year of pain, grief, joy, disaster, and comfort. Sometimes I hear people talking about the many things that make their life so miserable and make it so that they don't want to go on anymore. Yet, here is a man who, met with extreme grief and sorrow, turned to the only One who can heal and preserve. I came across this statement from Tedashii,
"“From Below” is a collection of my thoughts, prayers and reflections from the past year of life. Step in to these Tumblr journal entries to experience all I felt, learned and grew from as I sought to understand life and God, below paradise.
It was the morning of a very cloudy and dreary Saturday - March 23, 2013. My son Chase passed away. On that day everything changed for me, for my family. Everything about me changed.
But the Lord did not change.
Isaiah 26:4 - “Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.” (NASB)
My flesh is tempted to believe that on that horrific Saturday morning, God messed up. He failed me. He forgot to love me. But the Lord is an everlasting Rock - constant, immovable, the same yesterday, today, and forever. So when I begin to forget that, I run to these truths, replaying them over and over in my mind:
His goodness towards me did not change, and it never will.
His faithfulness did not change, and it never will.
His love did not change, and it never will.
His intimate understanding of my circumstances did not change, and it never will.
He did not fail me, and He never will."
This is the cry and belief of a man who has placed all of his trust in a God who is sovereign. If he did not believe that God was in control and ruler of everything, even the death of his son, then how could he ever believe the things that he states? It would be impossible for him to state that the Lord did not change, even though his son had been torn out of his life. It would be impossible if he did not believe that the Lord would not and cannot ever fail him, that He will never change, and that He knows exactly what He is doing for the benefit and strengthening of His body, the church. If by his son's death Tedashii is able to have a greater witness and impact on the world, then who would we be to say that this was not a beautiful and glorious work of God? Not that the death of Tedashii's son is beautiful, for that is a painful and extremely trying experience to go through, but the fact that Tedashii now has this amazing platform from which he can exalt Christ and lead others to the throne of grace through solid and biblical teachings is truly a blessing from the Lord.
God is always in control, and when trials come our understanding of this truth always comes out. In Tedashii's case, hurt and sorrow have given way to joy and peace in a sovereign Lord who does not ever change and continually holds Tedashii in His loving hand. Providing him with everything that he needs for this life.
May we never rejoice in the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in such a way as to take joy in the pain that they are experiencing, but let us always rejoice that the Lord is good and cares for His children in a more sovereign way than anyone could ever think or imagine. God is good and loves those whom He has called unto Himself.
