During this time of year, for many years now, I am silently strengthened by the deep faith of two Facebook friends.
One friend celebrates her son’s birthday. Dustin Chamberlain would have been 28 years old! What?! But Dustin has been absent from the family for, as Deondra writes, 2,733 days! He was horribly and shockingly killed by a home intruder. But Deondra writes, “You have finished your race, now we must finish ours.” “And let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) Her faith has been through the fire, yet it lasts.
Another Facebook friend lost her son five years ago after an accidental drowning on a day that was supposed to be “fun with the boys.” Not only does this Mom work to educate and prevent drownings, her faith inspires me. She writes, “I keep coming back to Romans 8:28, Evan’s favorite verse, and one thing continues to stand out- “and we know. We KNOW…no suffering is wasted and God is ALWAYS at work for our (my) good and His glory. I know.” She has literally been through those crashing waters, yet her faith lasts.
I love this quote from the movie “42” about Jackie Robinson’s integration into baseball. He faced terrible, open racism from all sides, but managed to show courage and keep his faith. In one scene his wife is telling him goodbye and warns him that “they” will be coming after him even harder now. “Don’t let them get to you,” she says. Jackie Robinson responds, “I won’t. God built me to last.”
Because of His amazing grace, even when we are perplexed and struck down, it’s true. While this world is not our home, He has built us to last. To persevere. To know.