Hope in a Hopeless situation

Dear all, I've been asked to write this blog by Glen's mum.  The weekend has been hard, Glen had another fit and has been in hospital since, he has not really recovered from this second fit and has not been coherent since.  Yesterday a scan on Glen's brain revealed a number of additional tumours, including a large one at the front of his brain.  These tumours mean that no further treatment is possible and in all probability that Glen does not have long left until God calls to take him to be with him.

Glen is sleeping a lot, but seems to like to know that there are people in the room with him.  They are waiting for a hospice space to be organised so that he can be moved.  These are words that many of us had hoped and prayed that we would never have to write or to read, but they are not words without hope.

The Apostle Paul in Romans 5:1-11 "¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

This is the hope that Glen, Anne, Ruth and the family have in this situation.  It is not a vague hope but one grounded in God showing his love for them in sending his Son Jesus Christ to die for Glen, so that he is made right with God (justified) can enjoy a relationship with God (reconciled) and a certain hope that he will see God face to face healed and liberated from every physical ailment.  The cancer will not win God will.

I would ask you to pray this evening for Glen, that God in his mercy would ensure that he does not suffer and take him home.  I would ask you to pray to for Anne, Ruth and the rest of the family, that they would know the certainty of their hope in Christ.

I know Glen would want me to ask this of those for whom death is a terrifying thing.  What is your hope?  You can know the same hope that Glen knows by trusting Glen's saviour for yourself.

Prayer:  Father God we come to you with heavy to hearts and bring our loved friend Glen to you.  We pray that you would be merciful to him and take him home to be with you.  We pray for his family may they know your strength at this time we ask, may the hope that Glen has and they share sustain them.  And may they know your love for them by your Spirit and through your people.  Amen.