For the Glory of God!

For the Glory of God

Not complaining or looking for sympathy, but it’s been an amazing and challenging five months. Last August, while on a mini family vacation in San Diego our lives took an unexpected turn, in fact, turned completely upside down.

At 11:30 pm I had a stroke. It was a very strange feeling.  No pain. A weird sensation of not being in control of my physical body. We were in a nice hotel room and we had had our family prayer and had all gone to bed. Lying there, I was cold so I got up to take a hot shower, but struggled to keep my balance. My thinking was that I was just tired from the drive, a couple of hours at the beach, taking the family out to a nice Mexican restaurant, and then some swimming in the hotel pool. I had to hug the wall on my way to the shower to keep my balance. A hot shower would surely do the trick and snap me out of it! Twenty minutes later I was heading back to bed, but I was still confused about being off kilter. Natalie and the kids had all fallen asleep. I knelt down at the side of the bed for my evening prayers. I’ve always felt that saying my prayers vocally was somehow an effort of increased faithfulness. As I began my prayer I could tell immediately that something was terribly wrong – I could think the words, but I couldn’t get them to come out of my mouth. It was complete jibberish! Ten minutes later I managed to wake Natalie up, almost crawled to the parking lot, left the kids alone in the hotel, and we were off to find a hospital emergency room.

Six weeks in the hospital and therapy, then home for the real work. Have lost 60 – 70 lbs in the process – I now weigh under what I did when I returned from my mission 32 years ago. So… I look much better than I feel  ;)  but there is progress on multiple fronts, and prayers far and wide have been and are being answered. Yet, miles and miles to go… but with Natalie by my side, encouraging words for every inch forward, and loving half of the man I once was, the future is bright and full of promise.

In October, Fred our 14 year-old, was getting the Halloween supplies out in the garage and the step ladder he was standing on broke. He fell and broke two bones in his wrist as he hit the cement floor. Several casts and several weeks later, Natalie had nursed him back to a full recovery.

In November, Natalie’s sister Geraldine was in a terrible head-on collision on the Interstate 10 freeway. It’s a miracle she is alive. The bones in her right foot and ankle were shattered. She’s been through surgeries and is recovering. She came home from the hospital to live with us. Natalie has become her primary care-giver, nursing her back to health. She is expected to go back to work at the beginning of March.

In December, Fred (yes, same boy) goofing around with a friend, fell on a brick walkway. In an effort to protect the newly healing wrist, he took the force of the fall on his ribs. Yep, cracked ribs! To add insult, he contracted pneumonia in his left lung. You should hear this boy pray! Something about a 14 year-old boy’s prayer! All the humility, sincerity, and faith you could imagine. He is back on the mend again, also due to the incredible care of his mom.

Natalie asked me the other day, tongue-in-cheek, if someone was playing some kind of cruel joke on us? I’ve wondered the same thing at times. But no, that’s certainly not the case. But after some consideration, perhaps we’ve had it good for so many years, decades really, that things have just caught up with us. If so, hopefully we’re “caught up” for several decades to come!

For some reason, my mind continues to reflect on the verses in the New Testament of Lazarus’ sickness and impending death. “When Jesus heard that, He said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4). As the story goes, Jesus delayed His coming to Lazarus for two days and Lazarus died. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus “had lain in the grave four days already” (John 11:17). There was no question that Lazarus had indeed died.

For many of us, we would have been sorely disappointed in the Savior’s delay. Healing the sick was one thing... Jesus already had a track record for that. But death… that’s a whole other story! Death is soooo final! He was too late. Lazarus had gone to the world of spirits for days prior! Way too late to attempt CPR! Way too late to use the defibrillator! But! But! Yes, But, not too late for the Son of God! It’s never too late for the Master. Never!

I love Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary. Though Mary sat in the house I admire Martha’s faith and consideration. Martha hears of Jesus’ coming and doesn’t wait for Him to get to the house. Even though most of us would have been disappointed in the lateness of His arrival, she, faith-filled, yet hopeful, went out to greet Him. Perhaps she wanted to give Him a heads-up about Lazarus’ passing four days prior before He arrived at the house where many Jews had gathered.

Martha, an ensign of faith for all the world, entreats the Master, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” But! Again, that But!!! She continues without missing s beat, “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee” (John 11:21-22).

The Savior of the world responds to Martha’s unshakable, unquestionable, unquivering faith with miraculous majesty, “Thy brother shall rise again” (John 11:23).

We know well the rest of the story. Mary and Martha and Jesus meet at the Lazarus’ grave. It is here that the well-known verse occurs, “Jesus wept”.

Although there were still some that doubted and thought the time of miracles had passed, Jesus knew better. He prayed aloud to His Father in Heaven, and then cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43). And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin (John 11:44).

I love even more what the Redeemer says in verse 40 referring back to His remarks in verse 4: Jesus saith unto her, said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? So, let me repeat, it’s not some kind of cruel joke! In fact, it’s something completely different! Here’s the thing, ‘His will be done’. We need to have more faith in that, and more faith in Him! And as sure as the rising sun at the morning dawn, if we would just believe, and are patient in our believing, even when we think that He is too late to help, we will see the glory of God! He will come, and He will grant the blessings desired when we submit ourselves to and align our will with His will. His will be done!

Life is good even at Hughes Memorial Hospital! Life is good!

Wm. Calvin Hughes

Lake Elsinore California, January 25, 2014

These words spake Jesus,

and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,

Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son,

that thy Son also may glorify thee:

As thou hast given him power over all flesh,

that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

And this is life eternal,

that they might know thee the only true God,

and Jesus Christ,

whom thou hast sent.

I have glorified thee on the earth:

I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

And now, O Father, glorify thou me

with thine own self

with the glory which I had

with thee before the world was.

(John 17:1-5)