Sumpascho..."to suffer with because the suffering has been the same" ... Personally and private with Christ; and corporately as a people of God with Him we suffer. This creates the draw of Christ to us - through us - to Him... Related to the "similarity of Suffering!" our handicaps, scars and valleys of suffering actually make us a receptor for hope to those currently walking through suffering.
Don't get offended when you seem to be the target of someone's rage or venting --- it may be your connection to the sufferings of Christ that puts you in a unique position to minister to the "hurt". Don't become overwhelmed if the socially and physically handicapped find comfort in your presence. You may find yourself asking this stupid question - "why can't I have any normal people for friends?" Please don't you dare define normal.
So our story really begins with my head spinning from a parallel study of Romans 8 (Mercy) and Revelation 8 (God's Final Justice) and a question for God "What is in this for me?"
... Then the flood of emotion began with a memory of the sun starting to set, water balloons flying through the air and bursting against the windows of the house; as a joyful figure hobbled about the back yard --laughing uncontrollably. Though being chased by unmerciful children, who were hurling these soaker grenades at him, for the first time in a the longest time Bob felt safe and at home. He was an easy target because of his scars from birth that created his hesitant handicapped movements, but it was like he hesitated on purpose to be hit; and the explosion of the bursting projectiles seemed to scream love to his soul.
The Redding kids in their crazy play were washing Bob with safety, they were bringing him into a family. The kids never realized that just a few weeks later Bob would be missing from his stealth visit's to the Mission Chapel ... But would be found lifeless, alone and hanging in his cold apartment closet. Though it was deemed suicide -- we knew Bob's handicap all to well - he had neither the strength nor the muscular control to pull off what was told. (The world wants to wash the memory of the hurting into the sea of forgetfulness - but God Remembers).
We drove Bob home that night of the Feast of the Love Balloons, and the boys asked ... as Bob walked away from the van (waving all the way into his apartment building) - "Will we see Bob again?" They were feeling the Sumpascho ... No words could describe the unseen burden that we carried for Bob.
Backing up just a few short weeks - we (the Redding Family ... Dad, Mom and kids) got its first introduction to Bob while corralling young people into a storefront chapel for a Thursday night "yelling about Jesus" time and pizza: "Freak! Come on back and fight like a real human being, you #%&*@&* freak!" He was not hard to look at, but he tried his best to be invisible. He was physically different for sure. He had no earthly gifts to offer but his bag of dirty laundry. And when not afraid, he had such a beautiful smile that sang a strange and distant harmony with his sorrowful mysterious eyes. He didn't say a lot, but this night in particular, he huddled close to me (though a stranger) while he shook with fear. I chased away the "punks" that were threatening him, and that night he never left my side. We drove him home because of the look of terror on his face when he knew we were about to say good bye. We couldn't leave him, it was blocks to walk home alone to his apartment, and we wanted to keep Bob safe. That night the boys asked - "Do you think we will see Bob again?" Happily we did get to see Bob again and again for 6 weeks of our lives.
When the unbelievable soul shaking news of Bob's death was delivered to us a week after Bob went missing --- we cried our private tears of disbelief, and the boys asked "Do you think we will see Bob again?" In the silence after that question, we all knew Bob was finally Home ... For on that first night of Bob's hiding near us ...he heard and found the message God's Love; and with simple childlike faith trusted Jesus, becoming part of a more secure family.
If given the opportunity, we all might ask -- What happened to Bob in that closet of sorrow , why would God allow it to happen? I will leave you with this -- Jesus sweat great drops of blood in the garden for all. The Spirit of Christ makes intercession for us with "groaning that cannot be uttered". And God is touched by and touches the heart of his kids, who are willing to share in the brokenness with Him. As they suffer with the Savior, they pour out Love. - Sumpascho. Six short weeks to love.
Rom. 8:17 - "If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that ... We suffer with (Sumpascho) Him, that we may also be glorified together."
Rev. 8:13 - "And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, woe, woe , woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the voices of the three Angels, which are yet to sound."
Someday the "suffering with" will be over, and "alas, alas, alas" - hopelessness will take its place... O the darkness.
Reach out to rescue the fallen, bring them into the Light of Living Hope, especially in light of the hopeless future if Christ is not received.
HLFA,
Jeff