Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a word about experiencing loss.
And we have all grieved over the losses in our life, right? But the challenge is, giving those losses over to God so that you can move forward and that’s not easy. It certainly wasn’t easy for Pat McBride. Pat was showing his wife Barb the region he grew up in back along the eastern shore of Maryland, and during their visit, they explored a beach. Pat was walking along the shore and as he passed under a big wooden cross stuck in the sand, Barb happened to snap a photo of him. Then, two days later, he dove into the Chesapeake Bay and broke his neck.
Oh, what a crushing loss, especially with Pat being a big, burly commercial fisherman! I mean, come on, one day you are working hard on the deck of a commercial fishing boat, and the next, you’re sitting there, immobile, a quadriplegic. This loss was almost too much to bear. But as Pat was lying in the hospital, he and Barb remembered that photo. It was the last snapshot ever taken of him before the accident. And it just so happened his wife snapped it as her husband was walking in the shadow of a cross. So, how did this man deal with his loss?
Well, Philippians chapter 3, verses 7-8, contain three references to the word ‘loss.’ The apostle says, “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider these losses rubbish that I may gain Christ.”
That’s what softened the terrible loss that Pat experienced. Through it all, he had gained Christ. You know, when I listened to Pat share his story with me, he mentioned that photograph several times with tears in his eyes. Yes, he had tears, but he was also smiling. His story reminded me of the miracle God performed through Elijah the prophet in I Kings 17. A widow had lost her only son (it was the same thing as losing everything back then during Bible times). No doubt, she felt utterly overwhelmed by such a loss. But she gave her dead son to Elijah who, in turn, raised her son back to life. This grieving mother joyfully believed the word God spoke through Elijah. She had handed over her loss to him and, as a result, she saw God more fully; and as a result of that, her faith was multiplied. And it’s still happening today. Through the quadriplegia, Pat and his wife Barb have seen a more complete picture of God and, in turn, their faith has been multiplied all because they were able to give their loss over to Jesus.
So, how are you doing with your losses? Have they injured your relationships, maybe stolen material goods, destroyed health, shattered dreams over a life robbed? Has all this loss made no sense? Have you asked God questions and gotten no answers? God waits for you to hand over your loss to Him, just like He waited for the widow; just as He waited for Pat and Barb. But through the lens of your surrendered loss, chances are you will see God more fully and your faith will be multiplied. And if you need a little help in moving beyond your grief and handing over that loss to God, then please, today I want to give you my booklet “Bible Promises for Hope and Courage.” This book is full of the kind of promises that have helped Pat and Barb rejoice in the shadow of the cross. Oh, and while you’re on my radio page, I’ve posted that photo of Pat and the cross on the beach, so be encouraged. Go to my radio page at joniandfriends.org and ask for your booklet on Bible promises — promises that will multiply your faith.
© Joni and Friends
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PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376