Today is referred to by many with a description starting with “good”. The irony is that for those in the story, this day was anything but! The night before had started with warm fellowship and great expectations. Before the morning dawned, one of the inner circle had betrayed everyone and taken his own life as he understood what he had done. If that was not enough, the night’s events made it one of the darkest the participants would every experience. Before dawn, all had failed except one. Before dawn, all had lost their grip on hope except one.
As a writer and man who had discovered what it meant to be embraced by God shared his defining moments with me, the uncertainty of life was clear. In his sickness, doctors offered treatment with full restoration. It was a good moment that lasted until he discovered the treatment itself damaged his heart in ways that could never been repaired. What was good, now was bad. In the bad, hope was lost. In this state, he discovered a God always present, always gifting us with courage, and guiding whispers. What was bad, now was good. Hope and Love were rediscovered.
The cycle repeated itself again and again in the time that followed. In our conversation, he was living with a terminal illness while filled with peace, hope, and love. His words on the one weekend two plus decades ago continue to shape how I see life.
In this light, what does adversity and my response look like. As I look in the mirror and talk to myself, I acknowledge the bad and the good in each moment. To the darkness that seeks to overwhelm, I inwards and with a committed heart remind myself, “like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in; in God’s name, I rubbed their faces in the dirt.” (Psalm 118.12) I will rub their faces in compassion, love, and respect. There will be no prisoners for good will trample evil, hope will dominate despair, and dreams extinguish the dark nightmares.
