Watch a man die and you’ll know how he lived.  The first century soldiers who executed criminals knew this all too well.  They crucified the dregs of society and saw evil spew out of these criminals, even as they gasped their last breath.  That’s why Jesus shocked them.  Even as He was dying, the Fruit of the Spirit radiated through him.  That’s why one of the guards watching Jesus said, “Surely this man was the Son of God.”

Watch a man die and you’ll know how he lived.  Randy Jones lived a humble, joy-filled life, oozing God all over people.  Randy was far from perfect, but he was forgiven and grateful for it… even when he took his last breath.

What about you?  As you think about Easter, what are you grateful for?   There’s one word that jumps off the page at me when I think of what I’m grateful for at Easter.  I’ll share it in tomorrow’s blog.  In the meantime, keep blogging your thoughts…

An entire community grieved for Rajaan and the tragic ending to his life.  My heart still aches for his mother.  And when situations like his arise, I think… ‘Why does God allow this stuff?’  But then I remember that “God’s ways are not my ways” (Isaiah 55:8).  In fact, when we try to look at life from God’s perspective, we usually see a very different picture.  For example,  Rajaan became a follower of Jesus through the ministry of an FCA missionary.  (btw… WCC helped sponsor this missionary.)  And even though we grieve when someone dies, for believers death is the beginning, not the end.  Isaiah 57 actually calls death a reward from God, as God spares us from more evil.

Now jump for a moment to today’s story about Gideon – another time when I don’t understand God’s ways.  You tell me.  Do God’s army recruiting techniques make sense to you, turning away able-bodied recruits???  What’s God thinking?

But let’s face it.  God’s like that.  He sees life so differently than me and you.  Our earthly goals and daily worries keep us from understanding why God works the way He does, especially in tragedy.   God can do more with less???  Death is the beginning???  God brings good out of the most awful situations??? Come on… do we really buy that stuff?

My heart aches for Rajaan’s family and friends, as they deal with a tragedy that makes no earthly sense.  But I want to be more like Gideon, trusting God especially when life doesn’t make sense.  Here’s what I’m learning…  God’s ways are not only different than my ways; they’re better.  And when I join Rajaan in heaven, I’ll understand why.

What’s God saying to you through this passage?