“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.” Matthew 27:45
“At Urgent Care!” That was the start of a text from my son’s wife, letting me know that my son had been in an accident. Along with the text was a picture of him lying on the examination table. My son’s position was all I needed to see… to know that his body, soul and spirit were NOT in a good position. My immediate and most natural response was to run to MY Heavenly Father and PRAY!
I didn’t run to my Father and then run back out. We hung out! ALL DAY LONG. Since my son was over an hour away, I did what I could do and just kept praying. And my Heavenly Father kept on listening. And while there were no words directly from heaven, a deep sort of knowing came later, letting me know that he was going to be ok. Then, for some reason, I thought about Jesus!
This being Holy Week, I’ve spent time thinking and reading about what Jesus went through leading up, and through, to The Crucifixion. Maundy Thursday is the day we remember His appeal to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. The time when HE prayed and God listened. Jesus’ appeal was heart wrenching. Being a dad, I have NO doubt God’s heart was doing the same thing.
I can’t imagine anything my son asking me for, in a crisis situation, where I wouldn’t say yes. But while Jesus wept and poured His heart out, God the Father must have wept as well. Because the ONLY way OUT of hell for ME, was for Jesus to go THROUGH hell to save me. God HAD to let that happen. So He walked with His son, until He could go no further. Then He HAD to turn away!
God is perfect. HE cannot coexist in a same space where imperfection resides. With ALL of my sin, and the sins of the entire world, hanging on the back of His Son, God HAD to turn away. Darkness is simply the absence of light. NOT the other way around! When God turned, darkness came. And with it, the purpose of a higher agenda that NOW gives my dark days the hope and light I need.
It turned out as I was led to believe. My son was released and is going to be fine… though the scar from the stitches will remain. Just like the scars from My Savior’s dark day… on a cross… dying for ME! I’ve been told that the ONLY person carrying scars in Heaven will be Jesus. And because THOSE scars remind my Heavenly Father that MY dark days need His light, I can call on Him ANY time!
Are YOU special to Jesus and The Father? Is YOUR name priority one for Him when you are in a time of need? Are you listening to what He is trying to tell you in the dark times of life? Because it is THEN that He speaks most clear!
