A few years ago, our family cat was really sick due to kidney failure. We visited the vet and we were told that she didn't have much time left but we could buy her some time if we would feed her an IV and give her fluids. I had decided that we were not up for that because we had young kids and I am a needle phobe but before I could inform the vet, my wife said "We'll do it." She did this for a few different reasons:
#1. She really loved that cat and it had been with her since college.
#2. She is a much better person than I am.
After a few months of treating Maychen (our cat) it was evident that she wasn't going to make it much longer. The treatments weren't having the desired effects that they had once had and we new that she was suffering. So we made the difficult decision to have the vet put her to sleep. It was very sad but we knew that it was time. Though that was a difficult time, we were not prepared for the conversation with my daughter about our beloved cat.
We pulled Savannah aside, who at the time was about 5, and broke the dreaded news to her. "Savannah, you know Maychen is sick right?" "Right". "Well, today we took her to the vet and she couldn't help her any more. They couldn't give her any medicine that would make her feel better. So Maychen died today." Savannah: "So she's with Jesus." Me: Long pause. "Yes sweetie, she's with Jesus." Look, theologically I've always been taught that this will not be the case (because animals can't accept Jesus)but PLEASE! You try to tell that to a 5 or 6 year old. Bottom line, I'm not sure what God is going to do with that. There will be a New Heaven and New Earth right? I digress. Savannah's face teared up and she bawled for about five minutes. It was gut wrenching. Then suddenly, the tears stopped abruptly. Her face hardened and her fists clenched. I asked her "Honey, are you sad?" Her jaw tightened and then she spun around and said the following words that will forever be etched in Snellings family history: "I'm not sad. I'm MAD at God!" I bit my lip trying not to laugh (yes I know it is a very sad situation...its my coping mechanism). Jenn cupped her hands over her mouth in utter shock.
Savannah then said, "When I get up into heaven, I'm going to walk up to Jesus and POKE Him in the eye." To her that was one of the worst things you could do to a person. In all honesty, it does really hurt. But to recap our reactions from before: Matt biting lip and Jenn in utter horror. Jenn is thinking "we've ruined our daughter forever" and I'm thinking "A theologian is born!!!" I think that it is really important to let kids express what they are thinking about God without judgement but there is a line. Savannah had a really strong grasp on the situation. She knew that God allowed this to happen to our cat. It was not outside of His grasp. God is sovereign. Maybe she wasn't thinking those exact words but she got the concept. I then began to explain to her that poking Jesus in the eye really isn't a great idea especially since He died for our sins and everything. She calmed down a bit but it was a teachable moment and legendary to boot.
Handling news like that is really difficult. Maybe we haven't said those exact words about Jesus but we've thought something simliar. Maybe upon hearing about a relative passing or a loved one getting the news about a a life threatening disease, we've thought. "God, I can't believe you'd do this to me." or "That's it, I'm not going to church anymore, I'm not serving, I'm not reading my Bible anymore because of this." Unconsciously we've subscribed to a theology that we probably wouldn't admit to. It is this: I do good = You give me what I want. We are treating God kind of like a cosmic vending machine. The truth is, God gives to us because He loves us, not because we earn His favor (Matthew 7:8-10). Its called grace. God's unmerited favor. It is how He imparts His salvation to us and how He preserves us until He returns. his unmerited favor (Acts 15:10-11; Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 2:8-10); . Nothing that we've done earns that gift. Conversely, bad stuff doesn't happen to us because we've colored outside of the lines (John 9:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:9-11). Sure, He wants us to obey Him (John 14:21), but He isn't waiting around for us to fail so that he can give a love one cancer or make us lose our jobs. A loving Father doesn't do that.
There is another truth at play during times such as these. God is with us. One of the names that Jesus is given is "Immanuel" or God with us. No doubt you talked about this name during the holiday season. Jesus has told us that "I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) God promises us His presence to walk us through these times. He also promises that victory has swallowed up death (1 Cor. 15:54-57). By Christ's work on the cross, Satan's power is nullified and death is not the final word. It isn't the final word for the one dying nor is it the final word for those left to deal with the aftermath. Victory is the final word. Death's power has been nullified. Christ conquered it. Take that with you this week. Impart the power of life to someone else that you know. Speak life into your conversations and be a life giving agent to someone you know. Peace.
Matt
#1. She really loved that cat and it had been with her since college.
#2. She is a much better person than I am.
After a few months of treating Maychen (our cat) it was evident that she wasn't going to make it much longer. The treatments weren't having the desired effects that they had once had and we new that she was suffering. So we made the difficult decision to have the vet put her to sleep. It was very sad but we knew that it was time. Though that was a difficult time, we were not prepared for the conversation with my daughter about our beloved cat.
We pulled Savannah aside, who at the time was about 5, and broke the dreaded news to her. "Savannah, you know Maychen is sick right?" "Right". "Well, today we took her to the vet and she couldn't help her any more. They couldn't give her any medicine that would make her feel better. So Maychen died today." Savannah: "So she's with Jesus." Me: Long pause. "Yes sweetie, she's with Jesus." Look, theologically I've always been taught that this will not be the case (because animals can't accept Jesus)but PLEASE! You try to tell that to a 5 or 6 year old. Bottom line, I'm not sure what God is going to do with that. There will be a New Heaven and New Earth right? I digress. Savannah's face teared up and she bawled for about five minutes. It was gut wrenching. Then suddenly, the tears stopped abruptly. Her face hardened and her fists clenched. I asked her "Honey, are you sad?" Her jaw tightened and then she spun around and said the following words that will forever be etched in Snellings family history: "I'm not sad. I'm MAD at God!" I bit my lip trying not to laugh (yes I know it is a very sad situation...its my coping mechanism). Jenn cupped her hands over her mouth in utter shock.
Savannah then said, "When I get up into heaven, I'm going to walk up to Jesus and POKE Him in the eye." To her that was one of the worst things you could do to a person. In all honesty, it does really hurt. But to recap our reactions from before: Matt biting lip and Jenn in utter horror. Jenn is thinking "we've ruined our daughter forever" and I'm thinking "A theologian is born!!!" I think that it is really important to let kids express what they are thinking about God without judgement but there is a line. Savannah had a really strong grasp on the situation. She knew that God allowed this to happen to our cat. It was not outside of His grasp. God is sovereign. Maybe she wasn't thinking those exact words but she got the concept. I then began to explain to her that poking Jesus in the eye really isn't a great idea especially since He died for our sins and everything. She calmed down a bit but it was a teachable moment and legendary to boot.
Handling news like that is really difficult. Maybe we haven't said those exact words about Jesus but we've thought something simliar. Maybe upon hearing about a relative passing or a loved one getting the news about a a life threatening disease, we've thought. "God, I can't believe you'd do this to me." or "That's it, I'm not going to church anymore, I'm not serving, I'm not reading my Bible anymore because of this." Unconsciously we've subscribed to a theology that we probably wouldn't admit to. It is this: I do good = You give me what I want. We are treating God kind of like a cosmic vending machine. The truth is, God gives to us because He loves us, not because we earn His favor (Matthew 7:8-10). Its called grace. God's unmerited favor. It is how He imparts His salvation to us and how He preserves us until He returns. his unmerited favor (Acts 15:10-11; Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 2:8-10); . Nothing that we've done earns that gift. Conversely, bad stuff doesn't happen to us because we've colored outside of the lines (John 9:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:9-11). Sure, He wants us to obey Him (John 14:21), but He isn't waiting around for us to fail so that he can give a love one cancer or make us lose our jobs. A loving Father doesn't do that.
There is another truth at play during times such as these. God is with us. One of the names that Jesus is given is "Immanuel" or God with us. No doubt you talked about this name during the holiday season. Jesus has told us that "I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) God promises us His presence to walk us through these times. He also promises that victory has swallowed up death (1 Cor. 15:54-57). By Christ's work on the cross, Satan's power is nullified and death is not the final word. It isn't the final word for the one dying nor is it the final word for those left to deal with the aftermath. Victory is the final word. Death's power has been nullified. Christ conquered it. Take that with you this week. Impart the power of life to someone else that you know. Speak life into your conversations and be a life giving agent to someone you know. Peace.
Matt
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