Why?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

I would give everything I have if I could answer that question.

As I was leaving for the office this morning, I got a call from a lady that Vicki and I are friends with. Vicki has worked with Linda for the last couple of years. She was in perfect panic. They had rushed her husband to the hospital. He was unable to breathe and unresponsive, and as the paramedics worked on him, it was abundantly obvious that something was very seriously wrong. By the time they were able to get him to the hospital, he was gone. Rod Gregg, age 60, passed away this morning of a heart attack in Independence, MO.

I performed the wedding of Rod and his new wife Linda just 2 weeks ago.

Can you answer the question “Why?” Don’t try, because I know no one can.

Can you just join me as we grieve with the family today? I know that no one at Crest besides Vicki and I know these people. But this hurts. Our Bible tells us to weep with those who weep, and to remember those that are in adversity since we are all made of the same lump of clay. I did not know Rod very well. I had only met him in preparation for their wedding a couple of weeks ahead of the event. But the few times we did spend together were very good. He was a prince of a gentleman and a joy to be around. I know Linda from a distance, and Vicki knows her simply from a professional level from work. From what we know, they don’t have much if any of a relationship with God, and they surely have no church home. We know that God is not willing that any should perish, and we know that in 60 years, there is a very good chance that Rod had been exposed to the gospel more than once. We just hope that at some time he had given his heart to the Lord.

Things like this make it abundantly clear to us how urgent the gospel message is. We can never be so busy or distracted to give out the good news, because we never know when things like this will happen. We also cannot run through the crowd with our hair on fire screaming “repent!” because that will work against us. How to navigate those incredibly perilous waters is the next big question we cannot answer. But we have to give out the message. I am sure we will have the chance to spend some time with Linda and the rest of the family in the coming weeks. Pray for them that God would open their hearts, and that he would give Vicki and I the words to say. I have no clue right now what those words would be, and neither do you. Just ask God to allow us the chance to share his love and truth as opportunity presents itself.

I hurt. Deeply.