Brother Richard Stone fell asleep in Christ, Thursday, March 8, 2001. He was my grand father, my spiritual guide, and my instructor in the knowledge of the truth. May I take this opportunity to write down some comforting thoughts to share with my brothers, sisters, and fellow young people.
Unfortunately, oftentimes I attempt to put a stranglehold on the affairs of my life. Everything must be ordered and in its proper place. I don’t enjoy the anxiety of uncertainty concerning my future or even concerning the day to day living arrangements we all encounter. At times I have such a squeeze on things that I manage to squeeze God out of my life. Being absorbed in things temporal, I find it quite easy to lose sight of things which are eternal. My mind goes back to some oft-quoted verses in the gospel of Luke 12:22,23, “And he said to his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.”
It is difficult to understand an interpretation of such verses in our current society. But I find it a very poignant fact that I pray most often to God, think on eternal things, and humble myself before the Lord when things are out of my control. If in some way I can control the situation, then I attempt to do so at the fault of excluding God from the process. However, when my weakness and mortality are most exposed, I then turn to God.
I stood at my grandfather’s bedside holding his hand in mine and I realized, as any would, that I was powerless. The tangible things of this world were of no use, but the intangible wonder of faith, hope and the love of my whole family toward him and to God for him were suddenly clear, wrenched from shadowy depths by my own weakness.
Weakness is a tool used by God to make us depend on Him and not on ourselves. This point is so clearly illustrated in God’s words to Paul after he requested the Lord take away “a thorn in the flesh.” Paul writes that God responded to him in these words, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” The apostle appropriately responded, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.. .for when I am weak, then I am strong.” The death of my grandfather brought me face to face with weakness. All the strength I had was in prayer, and that prayer rested on the strength of God.
Society would have us believe that faith is weak, prayer is weak, even grace is weak. I realized that I had fallen into that trap. In a sense, I subconsciously shut out the power of God in my life in favor of my own control. This is natural. This is human. This is the flesh attempting to preserve itself. As difficult as it may be and as unnatural as it may be, God has asked us to not put our trust in the things of this world but instead trust in Him. As I saw my grandfather’s life being supported by the machines at the hospital, it became clear. I had no trust, no hope and no belief in those machines to save my grandfather’s life. I only had trust in God to save him; I only had hope in the return of Jesus to resurrect him from the dead.
Yet I hope that from my sadness, I may learn a lesson. God has used this time of weakness to teach me that in Him only is power. The greater application of this spiritual principle is that I must find a way to make God a part of my life on an everyday, decision-by-decision basis. God must have a place in those things where I perceive that I have control. This is especially true for all the youth and young brothers and sisters. As we grow older, we come to several cross roads. Some may appear large, some my appear small at the moment, but have large ramifications later on. It is in these crucial moments, when we have the “power” to go to the right or left, that we must consult God. For we know among other things that the “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Moreover, we “can do all things through Christ which strengthener us” — these are but two of the hundreds of passages which instruct us of God’s power in our lives when we choose to make Him part of our lives.
My grandfather was a man I loved and respected. He taught me many things, one being, “Read the Bible, it is how God speaks to us.” Prayer is how we speak to God, the Bible is how God speaks back, and through it we can find the wisdom to make God powerful in our lives. Without it we are indeed powerless. I will miss Papa. But it makes me smile to write and share with you all that I will see him again, not supported by the medical machines, but empowered by the spirit of God. May that day quickly come. To God be all honor, glory, and power. Amen.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One