Word for the Weekend

1 Peter 1:7 --

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ

I went to a visitation yesterday. My best friend's (since forever) sister's husband died. He was 25; my age. He left behind many sad family members including a loving wife and one year old son. There were many people there to pay their respects and speak whatever they could think of to his wife.

When I stepped up, there was mutual understanding in both of our eyes of knowing each other most of our lives and never thinking we would be hugging through this occasion. Of course, I didn't know what to say. I mean, what do you say when something that tragic happens? It is the kind of pain that many people will live their whole lives and never experience.

What stunned me is that she said, "I'm praying for you." What I had gone through recently was hard but nothing as hard as she is going through now and will continue to feel. In her pain she was still thinking of others. I had to ask myself if I would have been the same way. I wondered how could someone who is going through what she is, be praying for anyone else?

She is going through a trial of faith just as Peter talked about in the verse above. She is being tried with fire, that is for sure. It is a time when most people would be questioning God and perhaps not even praying to Him out of their anger. But she was praying for me.

The verse goes on to say that the trial gives praise and honor and glory to Jesus. This woman made me give praise and honor and glory to Jesus that in her trial she is not only still praying but still thinking and praying for me. Isn't that like Jesus? While He was going through His trial on the cross, He was thinking of each and every one of us.

She can find peace in this trial of fire because it has given her the opportunity to show a little of Jesus' light to each person who came and hugged her or talked to her. It is through trials that Jesus works quietly calling more people to Him by us viewing a grieving widow and seeing the face of Christ.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,

calling for you and for me;

see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,

watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home;

ye who are weary come home;

earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling,

O sinner, come home!

--Will Thompson