Worth the Pain

When she heard the doctor’s voice on the phone, Grace knew the news was bad. “I’m afraid the cancer’s back,” he said. “There’s nothing more we can do.”

Grace said something—she doesn’t remember what—and hung up the phone. They’d been through so much, tried so many treatments, had so much hope that her son’s cancer could be cured…and now this. They’d tried everything and failed.

There is perhaps no more devastating news for a parent to hear. The burden of caring for a sick child, or any loved one, is great—but certainly not greater than the burden of knowing that loved one will no longer be here to care for. In the face of this loss, Paul’s words in Romans 8:18 seem almost blasphemous. That is until we read them in light of the pain God experienced as He endured the rejection, humiliation, and murder of His beloved Son.

Paul says the pain we experience on Earth is “not worth comparing” to the glory we will experience in heaven. Can you imagine? Something so incredible, so enormous, so magnificent that our present heartache will be nothing but a distant memory? It doesn’t seem possible, but God’s Word says it is true.

So go ahead and cry—it is certainly okay to grieve—but be sure to grieve with hope. Your hope is great…and He is truly a great God.