God, I know the pain you felt

I got the phone call early on September 15, 2015 - my son-in-law said my youngest son Paul has been in an accident. My heart felt like it stopped for a moment but I began to pray. Then the second call came a few minutes later. He's dead. My roommate said he had never seen that look on anyone's face - ever.

Somewhere in the middle of that day, through all the heartache, prayers and conversations with God, it hit me. Now, I really know how you felt God when your son died on that cross. The pain, the agony of it all was way more than a human like me can ever comprehend, but I now knew a little of God's sorrow. Somehow it bonded me closer to Him in understanding.

Paul was killed by a driver not paying attention. Jesus was killed by a mob mentality of people not paying attention to who they were nailing to that cross. The driver that ran down Paul got probation. those who hung Jesus later got salvation. Because of Paul's death, I got back into ministry and ATB just keeps growing and helping others. Because of Jesus death the kingdom just keeps growing and helping others.

This is me somehow making sense of it all by making a comparison that really doesn't compare except in the mind of a grieving father. It is a process of me understanding just how far God would go to save you and I. Not just an act of love, but a selfless, painful sacrifice of the highest degree. 

God got his son back, and one day I hope to see mine again. But only because of what His son went through will this be possible for me. I understood on that fateful day, I understand now. Jesus showed us how God could hurt, but he also showed us what to do with that hurt.

God will go to any length to demonstrate his love for us, and he turned his hurt & pain into our eternal gain. He asked us to do the same!