Life at the End of Our Rope
My eldest son Chris died 7 weeks before his 25th birthday on September 15, 2017. Humanly speaking, it is so unfair that Chris had such a short amount of time here on earth. It is also a tragedy when people live lives on earth with tremendous adversity, be it physical, mental, emotional, financial, etc. We all know people who seem to have received the very short end of life. It’s just not fair! What answers can we offer people who suffer tremendous adversity?
Francis Chan’s Rope Illustration
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=86dsfBbZfWs#fauxfullscreen
Well, what if our life does go on forever, with the first few years being our time here on earth and then thousands upon thousands of years spent in eternity, a time without end? When I think of our life on earth representing a minuscule portion of our entire life, it helps give me perspective on how I can view the many ups and downs that people experience here on earth. The link below is a 4-minute video of a talk from Francis Chan discussing his ‘Rope Illustration’.
When I first saw this illustration, it made me think of a ‘tragic’ experience I had as a small boy which highlights how limited my perspective was at that young age. I remember the thrill of riding my new 3 speed Mustang bicycle, but the ecstasy turned to ‘pure hell’ shortly afterwards as I fell from my bike and badly skinned my knee. Oh, it hurt and for those few short minutes I couldn’t think of anything else in my life besides the pain from my bloody, skinned knee. After several minutes though, relief came from the ‘tragedy’ I suffered as the pain subsided and I was able to focus on the excitement of riding my new bike again.
Fast forward 50 years. I believe I still have a limited perspective and understanding of the purpose and meaning of my life but witnessing so much pain and tragedy in our world has caused me to ponder life’s bigger questions, even before Chris died.
What if our life on earth represents an even shorter period than the minutes of pain from my skinned knee? If we knew FOR SURE, or even believed in the possibility, that a perfect, eternal life is available for us after our life on earth, perhaps we would view our highs and lows on earth completely differently? I am not attempting to trivialize the death of my son and compare it to my skinned knee as a small boy. Rather, I am espousing a belief that heaven is real and that life on earth is really ‘a testing place and not a resting place’. It gives me great comfort and perspective as I deal with all the events of my life here on earth. It also helps me comprehend, at least a little bit, how God could allow so much pain and suffering in people’s lives that just seems unimaginable. Living in Faith helps give me a broader perspective and a hope for the future.
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Life at the End of Our Rope
My eldest son Chris died 7 weeks before his 25th birthday on September 15, 2017. Humanly speaking, it is so unfair that Chris had such a short amount of time here on earth. It is also a tragedy when people live lives on earth with tremendous adversity, be it physical, mental, emotional, financial, etc. We all know people who seem to have received the very short end of life. It’s just not fair! What answers can we offer people who suffer tremendous adversity?
Francis Chan’s Rope Illustration
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=86dsfBbZfWs#fauxfullscreen
Well, what if our life does go on forever, with the first few years being our time here on earth and then thousands upon thousands of years spent in eternity, a time without end? When I think of our life on earth representing a minuscule portion of our entire life, it helps give me perspective on how I can view the many ups and downs that people experience here on earth. The link below is a 4-minute video of a talk from Francis Chan discussing his ‘Rope Illustration’.
When I first saw this illustration, it made me think of a ‘tragic’ experience I had as a small boy which highlights how limited my perspective was at that young age. I remember the thrill of riding my new 3 speed Mustang bicycle, but the ecstasy turned to ‘pure hell’ shortly afterwards as I fell from my bike and badly skinned my knee. Oh, it hurt and for those few short minutes I couldn’t think of anything else in my life besides the pain from my bloody, skinned knee. After several minutes though, relief came from the ‘tragedy’ I suffered as the pain subsided and I was able to focus on the excitement of riding my new bike again.
Fast forward 50 years. I believe I still have a limited perspective and understanding of the purpose and meaning of my life but witnessing so much pain and tragedy in our world has caused me to ponder life’s bigger questions, even before Chris died.
What if our life on earth represents an even shorter period than the minutes of pain from my skinned knee? If we knew FOR SURE, or even believed in the possibility, that a perfect, eternal life is available for us after our life on earth, perhaps we would view our highs and lows on earth completely differently? I am not attempting to trivialize the death of my son and compare it to my skinned knee as a small boy. Rather, I am espousing a belief that heaven is real and that life on earth is really ‘a testing place and not a resting place’. It gives me great comfort and perspective as I deal with all the events of my life here on earth. It also helps me comprehend, at least a little bit, how God could allow so much pain and suffering in people’s lives that just seems unimaginable. Living in Faith helps give me a broader perspective and a hope for the future.