A Big Lady and Black Cats

When something happens in a series of three, I pay attention. Ben once mentioned I should move to Africa because of my superstitious tendencies. Apparently he thinks there is a large mass of superstitious people on the continent that I would get along with. I think (and I am sure Ben would agree) there are plenty of superstitions among us here in democratic,modern, capitalist America (And just to note, yes, I realize the Americas consist of South America, central America, and Canada as well but with the constraints and development of language, I am apt to call the nation America and feel no shame in doing so. This in no way shows my arrogance as an "American" or my ignorance for that matter. On the other hand, perhaps it does as I just spent a whole three sentences on a parenthetical thought. Forgive me.)

As I was saying, plenty of superstitions. I am not just talking about the walking under a ladder (I first I typed "lady," that's a funny typo, and one big lady), breaking a mirror, or coming across a black cat on your fanciful way to Starbuck's to get a pumpkin-chai-latte type superstition, I am talking about the ones we hold to in the church. If I do my quiet time each morning, my day will be happier. If I pray and my will lines up with the Father's, all will be answered. I have often wrestled with James' thoughts, "You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss..." or in his last chapter "And the prayer of faith, will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up..." (James is the brother of Jesus so he must know what he is talking about.) But when I ask, and I don't receive, I have often slumped into self and started to contemplate my sinfulness, wondering where my heart has gone astray. But what is so self-serving to want a friend to feel the love of a husband she longs for after years of singleness? Or a baby to be healed of sickness? Are these not the desires of our good Creator's heart? And in faith my friend Tammy prayed (we all prayed) for her twin infant boys to live and they died, three months later they died. Did we not have the faith?

I began this entry talking about things happening in a series of three and I ended up here in these muddy waters but they do relate for the series of three I am speaking of now is the hearing of the untimely sudden death of three young ladies' mothers - two new friends from church and one on the movie we watched last night. And it is one of those days where the tragedy and the weight of this world seems to out darken the momentary joys.

Tammy loves to speak of her boys. She told me she prayed for their healing, their complete healing. "In this," she said, " I know God answered my prayer. Not in the way I wanted him to but he answered my prayer. You see, for only in heaven, we are truly complete, truly healed." I can get caught up in all this - what is faith? what is superstition? what is prayer after all? But Tammy reminds me of the eternal perspective. I need not to look for meaning in the series of three but rather look to what happened on day three, that third day, where death became life forever, and all was made right and will be made right.

Paul reminds the Corinthians not to lose heart while facing persecution, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." I love the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It was necessary for that eternal weight of glory but Jesus still cried. Some say that the translation is lost, that these tears where not only sad tears but angry ones. So as I look to that third day, I can rejoice for the redemption that is unseen but with Jesus and my girlfriends I can cry now and still have faith without superstition.