How to pray for us

Today we all went out to visit Paul's grave. It was a nice day, and we walked throughout the small cemetery looking at all the Saxon relatives that are buried there. Some were buried as far back as the 1800s. We miss our Paul and rejoice knowing that his life in eternity has just begun; the grave is nothing more than a place to go and remember his life.

Some of you have asked about how to pray for us. We sure don't want you to stop, but up to now we have really not known what to say. We don't really want to heal too much, or "get over Paul," on the other hand, we don't want to constantly live in sadness missing him. Anyhow, while we were in Denver with the Callisons, Dudley mentioned that he thought he knew how he was going to pray for us. He told us, and it seemed to hit the spot. I asked him to write it up, and I would post it here. Of course, we also know that some of you have been lead to pray for us in other ways so keep doing that too. Blessings to you all. (-:

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FROM DUDLEY - For years we’ve prayed that Paul would be healed. Not just that he would be comfortable or symptom free, but healed. Certainly the Lord would receive untold glory through this miraculous act. Countless lives would be blessed. Faith would be inspired and His Kingdom would expand in many hearts.

Now Paul is healed. Fully and completely restored in the Father’s presence. Did Paul’s life and death glorify God? Did years of suffering through cancer become a source of spiritual blessing for others? Absolutely! Over 125 contributors to Paul’s Ministry Journal testify that this rocky road was not wasted in self-pity or divine blame. The Lord is taking all of this “manure” and using it to enrich the soil of faithfulness. Beauty from ashes.

Our prayers for Paul are over.

Our prayers for Terrill and Leigh, in a sense, have just begun. Sure we’ve prayed without ceasing for them over these years: Wisdom, unity, endurance, patience, and a willingness to embrace the Divine Will, to name a few. Since Paul’s death, I admit that I don’t know how best to pray for these precious friends. I simply have no idea what they are going through. My open mouth just can’t find the right words to pray – at least not any prayers that can ease their pain or lighten their burden. “Be near them, Lord,” is about the best I can muster.

Recently, Leigh wrote in her online journal that this pain is an open wound. A torn heart that likely won’t heal. And the idea of “healing” carries the implication that they have moved on from Paul. An impossibility. The alternative is equally difficult to accept, a life of grief where sorrow can rise without warning. Like an injury that is covered with scar tissue, but perpetually sensitive to the touch, the death of a child must be one of those wound from which one never fully recovers.

At least, not this side of heaven. And therein lies our hope.

There is a day coming, sooner or later, when Terrill and Leigh will experience the blessed relief of complete restoration. In the presence of the Father their broken hearts will be bound and the tears will cease. Just like their precious son, they too will be healed.

Until then, can their suffering glorify God? Can the next 20, 30 or 40 years of unhealed pain become a source of spiritual blessing for others? Absolutely! In the words of the Apostle Paul, “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows… And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” Like their son’s cancer, the darkness of their “affliction” will only serve to magnify the light of life. For all who live in a place of despair, Terrill and Leigh will point the way to the great Comforter. Already they have set an example worthy of imitation. I have learned so much about trusting God’s heart even when I don’t agree with His plan, and I am not alone in this sentiment. Their lives, through the pain, will glorify God and bless others.

So, here is my new prayer today for Terrill and Leigh.

“Father, in your sovereignty you have allowed destruction to fall on my friends. Like Job, their hearts are torn, and their grief bleeds like an open wound. I know that you will heal them eventually, at the moment when they step into your presence. Until that day, take their brokenness into your hands and bring glory to your name. Let their affliction become a source of light for others who suffer without hope. Let compassion for the hurting flow from their lives as freely as the tears come from their eyes. Let the memory of their loss serve to ignite a passion in their hearts for those who are lost, who have no hope of salvation or healing. As only you can, take this ugliness and cause beauty to grow. Amen.”