Weeping for sickness is not something to be ashamed of. Sometimes you hear the statement, “God will work all things together for good,” but it’s usually those who aren’t in the midst of turmoil who say it.
Sickness is caused by sin. Not necessarily your or my sin, but by sin. Our lives are lived in a world broken and consumed with wickedness. When two godly people have a son who is but four years old who has a tumor, many of us want to offer words of encouragement, but what can we offer to them? The truth is, they have every right to be hurting, every right to be angry, and every right to be mourning. Sin is evil and should be detested. I heard the mother says once that it was not right for such a young boy to have so much torment. She’s right. It’s wrong.
We like to place the blame too, “Why do you let this happen, God?!”, but the reality is, God never desired things to be this way. He desired perfection and holiness, but he gave humanity a choice to be dependent on him and holy, or to be independent and reject perfection. Man’s choice was to be independent. Sadly, the price of that independence is destruction. When I see the MRI, and I see the heart ache, I can’t help but revile myself, “I chose this.” No, there wasn’t some great sin that I committed, but I’m not exempt from the rest of humanity’s choice and am therefore equally responsible.
God never intended for cancer to run rampant in the bodies of our loved ones. He never wanted the fall from garden in the first place. It’s backwards really. God has been, since the beginning of time, withholding our destruction. Ever since that first choice, in long suffering love and agony, our Father has held out his hand, asking us to return to him and providing hope. The full measure of the destruction meant for us he redirected on his own son.
So why do some suffer? I think the better question should be, why do some escape suffering? If we ask that, we would most likely arrive at the conclusion that none escape it. Some suffer greater than others, some suffer physically, some suffer through the pain of others, and some suffer emotionally. The truth is, none escape it. This is not meant to encourage, because, if anything, I have made things worse. Because if I have said anything, it’s that suffering is normal and that heartache and loss is typical. You have every right to be angry, because it shouldn’t be normal. God agrees with you. He hates it. But in his infinite love, he has given all mankind freedom, and that comes at such a high price.
So where you find hope? There’s a verse that has been my companion for the past three years. It was written to a group of Christians about to suffer some of the greatest tragedy human’s ever had to face. With that, Paul penned these words to the Romans, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).
I can’t tell you a step by step instruction, because I’m still at the beginning. But I will say this, in the midst of the darkness, I find the most joy and piece when weeping in the arms of my father over the sickness of those I love.