Saturday, November 21, 2009

God's Healing Grace and Mercy


Well, this is my first post on my blog. I really feel that the Lord has been leading me to communicate His love to all that will listen. I know that somewhere in this world there are people just like me who are having a hard time understanding why certain things happen in our lives.

I truly believe that the Bible is from God. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Romans 8:28. When my son died in 2004, I mediated on this verse daily trying to make sense of it. How could any good come from the death of my youngest son! I know that the Spirit of God was working because a calm came over me when it finally sunk in what God was trying to tell me.

For you see, our Mighty and Awesome God knows everything from the beginning to the end. My younger son, before he died, was on fire for the Lord and was able to witness to several of his friends. I realized in God's timing all things work out to the good for those who love Him. So you might say that this tragedy in my life actually drew me closer to the God of Creation.

I know there are hurting parents out there that have lost their beloved children just like me and my wife. I am telling you today, that a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ can and will see you through the rough times. Let me hear from some of you who have been through the ordeal of loosing a child. May God bless each and every one of you.

5 comments:

Ian Curtis said...

Greetings Lloyd.
I have never traced someone's posts back to their first, and I am glad I did in your case. If it is not too painful to ask, how many children do you have? And was your youngest son a believer? Though it does not entirely fit your situation, I immediately thought of Matthew 19:29, and the Lord's promise to recompense.
Gillian and I miscarried our first child. Her name would have been Eileen Rose, and she would have been two by now. I take comfort in the fact that God not only brought this little one home, and her eternal dwelling place was assured, but that He gave us twins! Now we have a third child coming.
I won't pretend to understand what your loss must have been, and still is, like. Know that there are Christians out there who think of you, pray for you, and love you with godly love; I know, I'm one of them. If you ever have need of prayer, or whatever I may supply, I am at your service, brother. God's blessings, Ian.

Ian Curtis said...

Hello again.
Just in case you have no desire to share such information with me or anyone else, please feel free to delete my last comment. I would certainly understand. Ian.

Solid Rock or Sinking Sand said...

Dear Ian, so sorry to hear about you and Gillian's miscarriage...my son and his wife had a miscarriage about a year ago and it seems that even though the little soul was never born the grief was still very real. I will lift you and your wife up to the Lord for peace and joy just knowing that someday, in God's timing, you will all be together in His Kingdom. What a beautiful name, Eileen Rose Curtis.

My wife, Margaret and I, raised three boys. My youngest son, Jim, attempted suicide back in 1998 with an overdose of pills and liquor. We were able to get him to the hospital but his outlook was not too good. The doctors told us that he probably wouldn't make it. I had a dear friend who was the Chaplin at the police department were I was employed who prayed daily with us over Jim as he was lying in his hospital bed. I can still recall that evening when the doctor came over to me and my wife to let us know that Jim's kidneys and other vital organs were beginning to shut down and that he wouldn't make it through the night. I think that this was the first time that I actually feel to my knees and reached out to our Lord begging him not to let my son die.

Well, to make a long story short.... the next morning Jim's vitals were beginning to show improvement and the doctor told us that he could not explain what had happened. We spent two more weeks with Jim in the hospital before he was released to go home. I know in my heart that this was a divine intervention from God and that it was not Jim's time to die yet. I might add that Jim was not a believer at this time in his life.

After we got Jim nursed back to health, he began to talk with me about heaven and hell. I presented the gospel to Jim and he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. During the next several months Jim started attending our church with us and became baptized. Jim was on fire for the Lord and seemed like he just could not help but tell all his friends about Jesus. Jim's life totally changed and he joined me and my wife in our ministry of going door-to-door evangelizing. I think this was the happiest time of Jim's life because when he was younger he was such a troubled young man.

After about six years, I noticed that Jim began to associate with a few of his old friends from the past. These friends were the same one's that got Jim hooked on drugs and alcohol in the first place. Jim assured me that all he wanted to do was to bring his friends to the Lord so they could have the same peace that he had. I had bad feelings about Jim's decision, but being he was 27 years old, there was not much I could do to stop him.

Jim began to withdraw from us and stopped going to church. I questioned him about his drug activity, but he denied that he was using. Then in February of 2004, Jim took off with his friends. This was the last time that my wife and I saw him alive. Jim drove out to a deserted county road, hooked up a hose from the exhaust pipe to run the fumes into his car. The police told me that when they found Jim he had been dead for several hours. Jim had his favorite worship music by Michael W. Smith playing when he was breathing in the deadly fumes.

Both my wife and I have a lot of guilt built up over not being there to stop Jim from killing himself, but we do know that in reality there probably wasn't much that we could have done to stop him. You might keep both of us in your prayers on February 10th which will be the 7th anniversary of our son's death.

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your concern and prayers because sometimes it is just as if this nightmare took place yesterday. Blessings to both you and Gillian. Lloyd

Anonymous said...

Thanks for visiting my blog. I believe the Lord is asking me to do something special. I must not be a very good listener yet because I can't make out what he is saying. I will keep trying. I will be happy to follow your blog.

Solid Rock or Sinking Sand said...

Thank you Mike for visiting my blog. I really enjoyed visiting your blog and reading the different posts. Every believer is used by God to promote His Kingdom. Each of us is given at least one or more spiritual gifts to assist us in fulfilling God's mission for Him. You will know if God is speaking to you when the time comes. God speaks through His church, His Word (Bible) and other believers. All we need to do is sit still and listen. God bless, Lloyd