In your opinion, what is most amazing about the event in Daniel 3:24-30?
“Only their bonds burned, and there was not even a smell of smoke or fire on them.”
Scenario A: “We can be delivered from the fire.”
Dividend: “Our faith is built.”
Scenario B: “We can be delivered through the fire.”
Dividend: “Our faith is refined.”
Scenario A: “We can be delivered from the fire into His arms.”
Dividend: “Our faith is perfected.”
Briefly describe a time you experienced either a ‘Scenario A’ or ‘Scenario B.’
“Last year‘s tumor was both: it was benign, so A, but it had to be removed with a major surgery, B. The experience has been good for my faith and Randy’s (On the day of the surgery, he had the much harder role.)”
What person of faith have you known who seemed to die in the ‘fire,’ whether from disease or sudden tragedy? “Tom Moore-ALS”
Did you, like most, question why? “of course”
Have you ever been able to come up with an answer that was satisfying, at least to you? “yes” If so, what was it?
“As Randy quipped through tears, ‘Sometimes it’s as though God says, “You’ve done such a good job, you get to knock off early.”’”
Where was the Fourth Man in the fire? Before we try to answer that very difficult question, recall the definition of loyalty we expounded on in day 4. Describe loyalty in your own words.
“Faithfully following and supporting, regardless of the sacrifice, even unto death.”
How did these men exhibit loyalty?
John Hus:
“Refused to recant and renounce his true teachings; sang as they burned him”
Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley:
“Remained faithful to God, and even wished England well”
Romans 8:38-39 answers the question beautifully. How do these two verses describe the predetermined loyalty of God?
“He will not allow anything to separate us from him and his love for us.”
Dearest Rachel –
Well.
You know, sometimes your study notes are basically about the topic at hand – which is fine; I’d do the same if I were the one working on these. As often or not, of course, they ask you about a way the topic could be (or has been) applied to your life, and you go into detail. These are the ones I tend to focus on, as they reference moments that I may have forgotten about – or, in some cases, was totally unaware of, because they were from a part of your life that existed separate from me, such as your work with other moms here and there during the school/work days.
And then there are moments like this, where you reference the final topic, the one that’s caused me to have to address you in this way in the first place. Obviously, you never speak of your own departure, as neither of us saw that as happening in the near future (and, to be fair, you were still nearly a decade away from it when you were working on this), but there certainly were moments we had to confront the concept.
It’s also weird to be name-checked multiple times in a single study, although I suppose that, in those moments when we had to confront a possible end of days, you and I would do so together in a way that wouldn’t be necessary for what you might consider to be more pedestrian issues. I’m not sure what you meant by thinking I had “the harder role,” when it was you going into surgery. Maybe you just felt you were leaving things in the hands of the doctors, while I had to agonize over the possibility that something could go wrong, but it was you that had that potential hanging over your head. Then again, you knew where you were going if that (remote) possibility became a reality, and were not worried about it.
For what it’s worth, I have to agree that playing “that role” for the last four years hasn’t been very pleasant.
And then, there’s your reference to Tom Moore as having passed through the fire. First of all, it’s an insight that not all such trials that can be considered “death in His service” need be due to outside persecution. We were just studying Philippians 3 yesterday, where Paul name-checks Epaphroditus, who had brought something to Paul in Rome that served to refresh him, only to fall deathly sick upon arriving. While he managed to recover, and would return to his own church with the letter from Paul, he was given credit for both his service and suffering; while illness does not differentiate between those with and without faith, those of the former who do not lose theirs receive credit for their hold upon it.
So it was with Tom and his slow decline (well, relatively speaking – ALS doesn’t take all that long to claim its victims, save in rare cases like Dr. Hawking, but gives one more time to prepare than an accident), although you give me too much credit for coming up with the ‘answer’ you found comfort in. I don’t know if you remember that time we went to see Randy Stonehill when he performed at the Methodist Campgrounds way back in 1998, a year after Rich Mullins’ tragic accident. It was he who suggested it, as he introduced a song he’d written in honor of his late friend and colleague. Then again, maybe you weren’t giving me credit at all; one Randy is as good as another for a source, eh?
Still – and this may be stretching the analogy to its breaking point – I can’t help but wonder what the job was that the Lord had decided was sufficient to allow to retire early. You had made it your mission for years to assure yourself of your folks’ eternal position – with them already gone (even though you weren’t confident as to where they had gone), that matter was no longer in your hands to effect; could this have been it? Daniel got his degree mere months before the iron curtain of Covid lockdowns rang down; was shepherding him through college the final task of your earthly employment? Or was it that He allowed you to visit your godmother one last time in the weeks before that confinement? How ironic it was that you wanted us to take that trek because, since she was just about the same age as your parents, you feared she would pass away before we got another chance to go down to San Antonio to visit her.
Then again, maybe there was no final task, and things just… happen. We have to trust that it’s all part of His plan somehow, but asking for a copy of those plans, so that we can understand them better is, generally speaking, out of the question. Suffering and loss are part of the package in this fallen world; sometimes He will bring us through it, and sometimes, He will call us out. Thus far, between you and me, He seems to have split the difference. I can’t even say “let’s see if it pays off for Him”; I know it will and it must. I just don’t know how, or when.
Until then, though, keep an eye on me, honey, and wish me luck. I’m going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 