This has been a prayer I have prayed a lot these last few weeks.
A few weeks ago in church, Dr. Smith preached a sermon about prayer. He talked about Lazarus and how Lazarus was very sick (John 11:1). Lazarus' friends came to be with him as he was sick to the point of dying. They saw how sick he was and cried out to the Lord saying, "Lord, the one you love is sick." (1:3). When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." (1:4)
To make this story short, Jesus comes to Lazarus, but already finds that he has been dead and in the tomb for 4 days. This is the conversation between Martha and Him:
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
And by the end of the story Lazarus is raised from the dead!
My grandpa is dying. It's probably the hardest thing I have had to deal with. My grandpa made me who I am. Him and my grandma brought me to church when I was young, sent me to private school to learn to love Jesus more. Just about every good thing about me was from them. I didn't do certian things because I knew it would make grandpa cry. Not out of disappointment or anger, but because he loved me so much and did not want me to do anything to harm my future.
My grandpa is a very soft hearted man. As he got older it didn't take much to make him cry and he wasn't ashamed to show it. He is the strongest, most caring, loving, and selfless person I know. He is the perfect man, well as perfect as a human can be.
Even in these last few weeks, he still made jokes from what little he could say.
Now accepting this has not been easy for me. I love my grandpa so much, like I said, he pretty much made me who I am. I fight with God over this many nights; asking Him to heal him, easy his pain, or take him home, just do something! Don't leave him here how he is.
Then I remembered Lazarus' story. So I cried out to God and still do how Martha and Mary cried out to Him, just hoping for something more than the pain he is now. I am not saying I expect God to heal him and make him completely well in the snap of a finger. I know He has the power to, but my grandpa has lived an amzing life and one that has shown me and others God in everyway. If it's time for him to go, it's time for him to go. At least he won't have to be in pain or on pain meds anymore and someday I will see him again. It's a promise Jesus makes multiple times to us and I couldn't be more thankful for it!
I want to be like him, I want to make him proud.
