Being Fine In The Space Between

There are those times in life where two seemingly opposite events seem to collide and you find yourself in that space between trying to hold them apart. One minute I’m planning my son’s 16th birthday party, and the next I am praying over a dear friend as she is passing on from this life. 

When I finally met my son Sean the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. His skin was just enough of a grayish blue color that the nurse began to phone in the special team to revive him. But the OB was calm and told the nurse not to worry, the baby was fine. 

I met Betty on my first day leading a special worship service at the nursing home. I wasn’t sure what they were expecting from me when this petite gray haired woman approached me, full of spunk and life. With her blue eyes piercing my soul she told me not to worry' “You got this, kid.”

Immobile and unable to talk I'm the one telling her not to worry, she is going to be fine. I let her know that the phrase “Do not be afraid” is in the Bible 365 times - literally one reminder per day. I don’t know if it was intended to be that number for a particular reason, but it seems like at least once a day God found a way to remind us that it’s all going to work out. We are going to be fine.

Life and death form an intricate dance, an eternal cycle where one’s existence intertwines with the other. In the space between, God invites us into this flow - sometimes leading, sometimes being led. But with God as our dancing partner, we have the assurance that everything is going to be fine.

Like I told both Sean and Betty, “There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God that has been given to you through Christ Jesus.” Hearing that, they both smiled. And everything was fine.