TRUST AND FAITH

 Young Lady with Trust and Faith -

A Fine Example!

                   

                                    by

                                Keith Hunt

     Come back with me to 1968. I was a young man of 26, a

leading member in the local ….. Church of God, in fact the

right hand man to our local minister.

     Over the preceding two years we had seen a large increase in

new members in our church. One family came in, they were husband

and wife and four children. A country type family, down to earth

and very nice to visit with. Their children were very well

behaved indeed, a real pleasure to know them. I visited with them

a number of times over a two year period. The oldest of the

children was a young lady about 14 or 15 (not sure exactly now,

but certainly not more than 15 when the event I'm relating took

place). She was very mature for her age. She was serious minded,

and enjoyed reading the Bible and talking and listening to

spiritual matters. She was also very physically mature, fully

developed as a young lady, looked 17 or 18 in appearance.

     I have forgotten her name now, but certainly have not

forgotten the wonderful example of trust and faith she gave to me

and all of us in the church at that time. This is her story, and

I hope it will INSPIRE all of you, she certainly inspired me and

still does as I meditate on her life.

     Her family lived in town in a somewhat "old" house they

rented. It was as I recall the summer of 1968. The children

developed a sickness. It was found that the "house" - the walls

etc. were sick, one of those situation you hardly ever hear of

much anymore. A house becoming sick with .... whatever it was. I

remember the medical people saying they would have to leave the

house and have it de-fumigated, have the walls sprayed and

whatever they do to get the house livable again for human people.

     The young lady was the sickest of the four children. It got

so bad that our local minister advised the parents to admit her

to the hospital right away. She was taken to the hospital where

she was to stay and be under the care of the doctors. 

     The hospital called our minister and told him that what she

had was VERY SERIOUS indeed, and they had nothing in 1968 to

combat this sickness.

     Our minister called me the second day she was admitted to

the hospital, and said, "Keith, the young lady is in serious

condition with the decease she has. I would like you to go this

evening and visit with her. Please tell her how serious it is,

and explain it is a matter of life and death."

     That evening I went to visit the young lady. I walked into her

room as the nurse was walking out; the look on the nurse's face 

was anything but reassuring. On the outside our young lady

she did not look to be sick. She was a very pretty young lady,

and looked very calm and as pretty as ever. I had to tell her

that the doctors had told us that her condition was very serious,

that it was life or death. I explained to her that God CAN and

DOES at times, according to His will, HEAL us from sickness. 

But I also told her that for whatever reasons God does not always

heal us in this physical life. I explained that we do not always

know what God is going to do or not do. I told her that this was

a matter of life and death. I asked her if she understood what I

was saying (I was saying in a kind way that it could be possible

she may die from this sickness she had). 

     This young lady was calm and composed, very serene, and very

at peace, with herself and with God and with her situation. She

replied to me that she fully understood what I was saying.

     Now, this young lady could have started to get VERY ANGRY

with God. She could have said, "I'm so young! Why has God done

this to me? Why has He allowed me to get this sickness that could

kill me? I have all my life ahead of me. I want to marry, have

children, serve the Lord and just have some adult life. I'm angry

at God!"

     She could have been in that frame of mind. I'm telling this

lovely (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) young

lady she may DIE! And she is so calm and peaceful in mind and

body.

     It was something I shall always remember. Something that

inspires me, to keep on keeping on in serving the Lord and

keeping a right attitude towards Him, not matter what I may face

in life.

     

     A young lady, a beautiful young lady in all aspects. She was

some terrific example. She was ready to accept whatever God was

going to allow to happen.

     A day later I received a phone call ..... our young lady had

died!

     I still get tears in my eyes thinking about this fine

example of trust and faith this young lady exhibited. It kind of

puts a lot of things in life and what has happened over the years

in the Church of God, into true perspective. Here was a young

lady, loving God and His word, who was ready to put her life

completely in His hands, and was ready to accept His will.

     What a great example! I will not be surprised at all to meet

her again in the first resurrection, at the coming of Christ Jesus.

She was a true young saint. I hope her relatively short life on earth 

in the flesh, is inspiring to you also. For we are told in Ecclesiastes

9: 11 that time and chance can come to anyone. Most of us do not

know what the next day may bring.

                            ..................

Written October 2007