Delight in You

Wayne was the quintessential strong-and-silent type. He was tall with broad shoulders and calloused hands. He worked in construction and came to church faithfully with his wife.

Wayne was in his early 50s when he had a massive stroke. I still remember the shock of receiving the news. He survived but would be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

That was almost twenty years ago. I am now much closer to Wayne’s age at that time than my own. I am also much more aware of how quickly one’s health and life can change. I am no biologist but I do know that the human body is an intricately tuned system, knit together “fearfully and wonderfully,” according to the psalmist. God is both the Creator and, much harder to conceive, the Sustainer of our bodies.

So, then, what happens in cases like Wayne’s, when some part of the body inexplicably gives out? Because, even as good and loving and all-powerful as God is, sometimes blood clots interrupt the body’s regular and necessary blood flow. Sometimes a seemingly healthy heart stops beating without any warning. Sometimes cancer forms and grows unseen until it is too late. Why? Where is God’s sustaining grace in those moments?

Let me be very clear: I do not know. And, regardless of how much theological ink has been spent on the topic, I don’t think anyone else knows either.

It is worth noting that Wayne has since credited his stroke for finally getting his attention, prompting him to move from being a man who faithfully attended church to one who has placed his faith fully in Christ. Wayne, believe it or not, thanks God for his stroke. “To get my heart,” Wayne has said, “God took my body.”

Now, that is Wayne’s testimony. I, in no way, think all people everywhere need to subscribe to a similar way of thinking. I will again reiterate: I do not know why things happen the way they do–for good or bad. And I believe attempting to apply universal answers to such intensely personal and painful questions is reckless and unhelpful. Scripture calls us to mourn with those who mourn, to weep as Jesus wept with Lazarus’s loved ones after his body gave way to sickness. Some may come to a conclusion similar to Wayne’s. Others may not. I’m not sure it matters. There is room for all who mourn to find solace in God’s loving embrace, regardless of how they logically make sense of such difficult realities.

This song was inspired by Wayne. It is a simple song that praises God for the way in which He sustains the human body. Because, afterall, when the body is functioning as it should, it is so intricate and so wonderful. At the same time, the song recognizes God’s promise of something even better, infinitely better.

Credits

Words & Music: Bill Wolf