Up until last month when my youngest child turned 21, I always tried to bestow upon my three sons the manly virtues that my father bestowed upon me. I failed because their Mother loosed upon my children an emasculating band of "professionals" when she launched the divorce, who stripped every bit of paternal influence from them. (Right: Vainly waiting in a restaurant on President's Day for Danny to join me for lunch.)
The ultimate victims are these young men, who have disdained all communication with their father for years. But for a man dealing with the loss of his children, it's never "all better," although eventually it does "get better."
Healing only starts through forgiveness. This is a notion I started examining a couple of years ago, and in this season of Lent, I recently contemplated the following from Paul, who wrote in 1 Corinthians about the what, if not the why, of when incredibly bad things happen to people.
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
The ultimate victims are these young men, who have disdained all communication with their father for years. But for a man dealing with the loss of his children, it's never "all better," although eventually it does "get better."
Healing only starts through forgiveness. This is a notion I started examining a couple of years ago, and in this season of Lent, I recently contemplated the following from Paul, who wrote in 1 Corinthians about the what, if not the why, of when incredibly bad things happen to people.
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
4 comments:
Certainly, find comfort and courage anywhere you can in scripture!
There is a difficulty in viewing your experience as testing by (or allowed by) God. That would imply that your ex-wife has been doing God's will in order that you would be tested? I reject that idea.
But surely there is comfort in knowing that God is with you.
And you will find hope and peace.
You are gracious; thanks.
Continuing prayers for your journey.
I think the idea that one is not tested beyond one's capacity may not always hold true but it is a very helpful one to me on many an occasion.
Trying to take something, learn something, from each experience makes good life sense as well - forgiveness sets you free and ultimately is as good for the forgiver as the forgivee.. Or so I tell myself.
peace, peter.
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