Ridgell's Originals

Hudson Wade died this morning from Leukemia.  Our church -- and many others -- prayed and prayed for his healing.  Over the past few months and years, their have been so many parents I know who had to bury their kids.  Some from sickness and some from accidents.  Some saw it coming, others had no idea till the phone rang.  Some died in the womb, some were grown.  So I think on Hudson, Matt, Ashton, Scottie, Nick, Matt, Caleb, and Lane.  And so many more.

I have prayed and cried.  I have preached many of the funerals.  Attended most of the others.  And now I am grieving again with the Wades.  But I am remembering that as believers we are hope grievers.

So I don't have the answers about death, God, prayer, and suffering.

But I do know some things to be true.

Here is what I know.

This world is a tough place.  Sickness, sin, pain, and death.  It is real and it touches all of us.

God is here in the midst of all of it.

This world is not our home.

God will be glorified.  We will praise him in the storm.

We do not grieve like those with no hope.  Because we believe.

We will see Hudson around the throne of God someday.

I have to tell the world of our hope.

So they can know what we know.

In a broken world of death and pain...

Jesus rose from the grave.

We believe and because of that, we will see our babies, our sons and daughters, our children, again.

Until then, we cry, praise, and hang on to God and each other.

And wait for the Lord to take us home so we can all be together again.

And I know that I cannot fathom how you survive without Jesus.

So come quickly Lord.

Take us home.