What can we say ... when there are no words? What can we do ... when we are utterly helpless?

 

The email came late one night-Jim has been diagnosed with a rare disease. It will quickly rob him of his memories. It is incurable. It is fatal. Numb, I stared at the computer as though it wasn't there.

 

I've known Jim more than 25 years. When we first met, he owned a Christian bookstore. I had started my law firm just two years earlier. We spoke often, saw our careers grow, and became close friends.

 

Thankfully we have the same sense of humor. Once while shopping, I heard Jim's voice interrupt the music floating through his store. "Security to devotionals. Security to devotionals." I looked at the nearest counter. I was standing in front of the devotional books. In fact, I was the only one standing anywhere near the devotional books. Clever. I bided my time.

 

Years later at his office, I gave him a stack of documents to sign. At first he carefully read each one. Then, quite bored, he simply turned to the last page of each and signed. Finished, he kicked his legs onto his desk and leaned back. "Anything else, Counselor?" I smiled. "No, and get your feet off my desk." The last document gave me his entire business for a dollar. (Jim didn't think that was nearly as funny as I did.)

 

Over the years I saw his business grow into the top independent Christian bookstore in the USA and him become Chairman of the Board for the Christian Booksellers Association. I prayed with Jim as God led him to update Oswald Chambers' devotional My Utmost For His Highest and Charles Spurgeon's Streams In The Desert. I listened to his excitement about teaching the Bible and leading many groups to the Middle East.

 

I reread the message. Other memories flooded my mind. As I had encouraged him, Jim encouraged me, too---when God said it was time to start Ciloa and again as God led me away from my law practice. He wrote the foreword to my first book and highly endorsed my last. But now ... though so much of what I do involves encouraging ... I had no words for him.

 

We all have such times. It's like being hit so hard the air is forced out of our lungs. We can't breathe. We can't speak. We just feel the pain. In the same way, life knocks us down and the words are driven from us. We can't comfort. We can't encourage. We just feel the pain. We can't even pray.

 

But the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For both the encourager and the one needing encouragement, He cries out with mournful groans of pain and grief far deeper than words could ever express. (see Romans 8:26) God hears our pleas. He answers our hearts. And while He can do only what is according to His will, we know that His will is good, pleasing, and above all ... perfect.

 

Surrendering to God's will, trusting His direction, and focusing on Him can be very difficult when our desires get in the way. But that is the task of each and every follower, believer, servant, child, and friend of God. And that ... exactly that ... is what we must strive to do.

 

It has been a blessing to be Jim Reimann's personal attorney, confidante, and friend. I have boldly told God my personal desires and now ask you to pray---for Jim, his wife Pam, and their family---that our Heavenly Father will grant His devoted servant the miracle only He can give.

 

May we trust God so completely in all areas of life that we more fully seek and embrace His will.

Ciloa is a registered trademark of Ciloa, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
A Note of Encouragement is a copyright interest held by Ciloa, Inc.