God does some of his best work in the dark.
I've said that many times. I've known it...at some level, at least. But lately I've been "knowing" it more truly and more deeply than before.
A year-and-a-half ago, my newborn granddaughter Calleigh was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. It was a dark moment, for her parents, and for me and my wife, of course. We cried. We agonized. We hurt. We prayed for healing--and we still do.
But God has done some fine, fine work through Calleigh's circumstance. My wife and I have seen a deeper faith develop in Calleigh's parents. We have met many fine people we wouldn't have met otherwise. We have raised thousands of dollars for CF research. We have been blessed by the care and support of many friends. And more.
These are not just "by the way" blessings. They are direct--and perhaps purposeful--results of Calleigh's diagnosis.
A few days ago, we learned that Calleigh's brother, who we expect to be born in late December or early January, also has CF. Another deep disappointment. A grief. A loss. But--until God heals him--he couldn't have two better parents to cope with those circumstances and care for him. He will be born into a family that has for two years been blessed by God's work in the dark.
This diagnosis has also shown God's foresight and wisdom to me. Over the past several months, another tragic situation has arisen in my life and ministry that has hurt many people and drastically changed the shape of my ministry. Something I never foresaw and would never have wished. But it's not hard to believe that even in the darkest moments, even through the most hurtful of circumstances, God has been engineering good things for me and my family. When that boy arrives, I will be immeasurably more able to minister to him and his sister and parents than I could possibly have done under my "pre-tragedy" circumstances. I will have BOTH greater focus in ministry and greater availability to family .
So, yes, God does some of his best work in the dark.
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