“He may sometimes chasten us, it is true, but even this He does with a smile, the proud, tender smile of a Father who is bursting with pleasure over an imperfect but promising son who is coming every day to look more and more like the One whose child he is.”
A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)
Thank you, Rev. Tozer, for this reminder to look for the smile behind our discipline.
God’s correction may be smiling,
but His means can be grim;
it’s anything but beguiling
when you’re far too deep to swim.
Yes, I’ve sinned most boldly, friend,
but I am beaten to the ground
with no spark, no strength to lend
and I cannot make a sound.
I do deserve this reprimand;
the cancer-judgement is my lot
and I hope He understands
that I’m giving all I’ve got.
He will break the man I was,
and I fall, obedient to His laws.
I don’t think your cancer is a judgment, Andrew. More like a crucible, and you’re a better man for it. So are the rest of us, because we get to share in your hard-won wisdom. Bless your soul!