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ALISTAIR'S GIFT

Yesterday, we got a glimpse of the exciting life God was leading Angus into. He was living on the front edge of obedience, daring to go with God where others only dream. If we stopped with that session, our impression of the Christian life would be “happily ever after” rather than the reality that sickness, storms and hardship can visit a Christian just as surely as they can visit a non-believer. 

God can become more real to us in the most difficult moments of life. Tragedy can either turn you from God or toward God. Choosing to surrender to God through the trials of life will not only draw us closer to Him but make us more useful for His purposes. 

A lesson from Angus

It was April 6 and it was my wife’s birthday. My brother had come to visit and Alistair my nephew was just four years old. I was his favorite uncle and he loved John Deere tractors. A worker arrived to tell me that a tractor was stuck, asking if I could help.

As I walked out the back door, little feet came running towards me and I felt his little hand slip into mine. He always called me “Auntie Angus.” He asked if he could come with because he knew I was going to drive a tractor to pull the other one out. I sent him back to his daddy to ask for permission to come along. Of course his father said yes, and his little sister also ended up coming along. She sat on the left-hand side of the tractor and little Alistair on my right.

I drove up the road very slowly. Then I took a corner and only God knows what happened next, but Alistair fell forward and the tractor went over him. He was crushed, and he died in my arms. I had to go home and tell my brother that I had killed his son.

My dear friend, I wouldn’t wish that on the devil himself. It is only by the grace of God that I have been able to overcome this test in my life. Without Jesus Christ I probably would have turned into a criminal or a drunkard or a drug addict lying in a gutter somewhere. But the Lord took me and raised me up and ministered to me. It took me a long time to recover, although one never fully recovers from something like that – you just learn to live with it.

I do know that little Alistair is with Jesus Christ in heaven. That is my saving grace and his dad also knows that. My brother has been preaching the gospel up in central Africa, Uganda and Kenya. The Bible tells us that all things work together for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28).

You may feel that you are unable to cope with what you’re going through right now. The truth is that no matter what you have to endure, you can still know solace. My safety valve is the prayer time that I have with the Lord.

It doesn’t matter how you start your life; it’s how you finish that counts. If you keep looking to Jesus, He will see you through to the end. So continue to spend time with God. Look to Him and stop asking questions. Remember, God is in heaven and we are on earth. Who are we to question Him? Just trust Him and He will pull you through.

Reflection Question: Romans 8:28 | In all things

What events in your life do you find the hardest to square with this promise? How are you handling that disconnect between you and God?

Memory verse - Romans 8:28 

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your presence in my life. When I stumble, You are faithful to restore me. When I am weak, Your strength is available. Thank You for Your great love. Holy Spirit, I trust You to bring restoration to the areas of my brokenness. I know that when I am frail, the majesty of Almighty God will lift me up. I rejoice in the Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. Amen.