questions

I have a friend that has received some really difficult health news. She has been diagnosed with cancer and she isn't even 50 yet. Things do not look all that good either. It is going to be a long, dark road for her unless God heals her. But, is it really dark? If healing does not come here on earth and she does die with this cancer. She will be with the Lord. She will be healed in heaven. When trials or tests or whatever you call them come into our lives it brings about questions. I think God expects us to ask questions. Whether out loud or in the deep recesses of our hearts. We all at times wonder, why. My friend is a Godly woman who does great things for the Lord. She gives Him all the glory too. Is she sinless? No, of course not. Neither are any of us. Good grief, most days I sin 10 times before my feet hit the floor in the morning. I don't pretend to know any answers as to why things like this come into our lives. But i do know that nothing....nothing...comes to us that has not sifted through the hands of God. Does this include sickness? I believe so. Do we cause it with sin in our lives? No. If that was the case, we would all be riddled with diseases. I think it is a trial that we journey through to bring about glory to our Lord. Sickness always involves others in our life. Whether it is family, doctors, strangers in the recovery room, scores of people that pass our way. This allows us to give and show a testimony. Now whether that testimony is positive or negative is up to us. We have the gift of a free will, after all. We can show God's mercy, grace and provision through our illnesses and bring others into God's fold with our testimony. What a blessing! I know years and years ago I suffered 2 miscarriages that at the time devastated me. But since that time God has led me to use those experiences to help others who have suffered the same thing. To share my pain and grief over those 2 babies that rest in the arms of Jesus today. What a blessing that one day I will greet them with hugs and kisses I have stored up for decades. We live in a broken world. The earth literally groans for restoration. We will be restored when Christ returns and heals this broken world. Only then will there be no more tears or grief. He will wipe away every tear. I love the new song by Laura Story called "Blessings". I am praying this for my friend and for her family.