…and cast their crowns before the throne… – Revelation 4:10, KJV

A seventeen year old young man, whom I will call Dale, was fighting AIDS. In the hospital, undergoing treatment to prolong his life, there were no doubt times when this born-again believer wondered, “Why?” Why would God allow him, a faithful servant, to contract this devastating disease through a blood transfusion? It just didn’t make sense.

While Dale was being cared for, an older fellow, whom I will call George, was admitted to the hospital and began receiving treatments for AIDS alongside his young counterpart. During their conversations, George disclosed that it was his homosexual lifestyle that had brought him to this point in his life. Raised in a family with deep hatred for God, the thought of pleasing God never entered his mind. Only pleasing himself mattered.

During their time together, Dale witnessed boldly to George. For a time, George resisted, but before they parted ways, George had confessed his sin and asked Christ to save his soul. George is now in his final days of life, but prior to his departure, he has persistently witnessed to his God-hating loved ones. Although they have rejected him and his Savior, one thing is certain: in his short time as a Christian, George has been faithful to plant the seeds of God’s Word, and God’s Word will not return void. Another thing is certain: God used Dale’s tragic situation to win a soul bound for Hell, and through Dale’s faithful service in tough times, God got His Word out to George, and beyond.

It can be EXTREMELY hard to understand the “why” behind our tragedies, but there is always a “why.” If we will patiently wait for God to show us our “whys,” He will, and once He does, everything will make sense. Until we learn what the “whys” are, our job is to be faithful in God’s service. If we are, then we will earn crowns of glory, as young Dale did, to cast at our Savior’s feet.

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