Jo's Surgery Update #25

Tomorrow has been six weeks since Joanna's surgery. And yesterday she did a full exercise workout, including some mild situps. :)

Though there has been a few frustrating digestive things happening off and on, she seems to healing from her surgery very well.

Thanks so much for praying with us during this.

Unless something changes, this will probably be the last "Jo's Surgery Update" so I want to end it with a few thoughts:

The night we went into the ER, I went out to the car to get a few things (water, chapstick, lotion, etc.) for Joanna and on my way back in to the hospital I stopped and thought to myself, "If there were no God, if we were just random beings in a random, meaningless world that happened to bump into one another and happened to enjoy being around each other... And if 'survival of the fittest" is what really got us here, rather than the design and purpose of a loving God... Then the smartest thing I could do is go back to the car, get in, and drive away."

It's sobering to think of the reasonable conclusions we will come to if indeed life is random and meaningless. There is no real, meaningful obligation to one another, except that of our ability to stay strong and survive.

But, because that is not true, because there is a wise, loving, sovereign God who creates all and rules all with a purpose, there is joy in suffering. Because suffering does not catch God off guard, there is a deep, satisfied joy (not shallow happiness, but deep joy) that lasts through the heartache and suffering for those who trust in him and in his Son Jesus.

Paul said it like this, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." (1 Corinthians 15)

So, if this whole Jesus thing is an ugly, misguided hoax, then those who believe in it and trust their very souls to it, and let it affect all that they do in life (financially, socially, spiritually, etc) are to be pitied more than all men.

But, if it is true. If Jesus is who he claimed to be, fully God and fully man. And if he accomplished in his death what he claimed he would ("a ransom for many" mark 10) then we should all be sober and silent and humble knowing that today is a day to remember his death. The death that we deserved because of our disobedient rebellion (sin) toward God. The death he is willing to apply to cover our sin. And if he did indeed rise from the dead three days later proving that death could not have the last word, then we should reflect on how we have responded toward that fact.

We cannot be neutral toward Christ. We must either believe his death applied to us, trust that it was sufficient to cover our sin, and turn to hate our sin. Or, we must refuse him and continue to be against him and against his plan to save us from the just judgment of God.

These may be heavy issues, but think about it; If this were not true, what point would there be in me going back into the hospital six weeks ago? If you are honest, none.

either pitied or ransomed,
Clint & Jo