Good News in the Diner
Jul 21st, 2008 by John
Good News in the Diner
by
John W Frye
Jake leaned over the counter in the diner across the street from the hospital and breathed in the aroma of the hot, black coffee. He was tired from being with his daughter, Mandy, and her husband, Steve, all night. Mandy had complications with her pregnancy, went into premature labor and something caused trauma to the baby and he (little Jason) died in the womb. Mandy, devastated and drained and still in labor, will deliver a still born child. Steve is by her side. Jake needed some air and space to think.
Another man sat down on the stool next to Jake and placed a Bible on the counter. He ordered coffee, too. They sat there side by side in silence until the man said to Jake, “You look tired and kinda down, friend.”
“Guilty on both counts. I am tired and down,” Jake said. “My daughter just lost her first baby a few hours ago. I’m trying to sort it out. She was so thrilled to have little Jason. That’s his name.”
“Well, friend, even in the darkest hour, this is the day the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
“You gotta be kidding me.”
The man looked confused as if Jake had slapped him.
“Well, no, I am not kidding. God is in control. The death of your daughter’s baby…”
“Jason.”
“Yeah, Jason. It’s all part of God’s wonderful and beautiful plan. It all works out for his glory. We may not understand, but God does. He’s still on the throne.”
“Did I just hear you say ‘wonderful’ and ‘beautiful’ and ‘glory’ about my grandson’s death? What are you talking about? My daughter’s eyes are so swollen and red from crying over the death of her baby. She is a wreck. And you’re talking ‘beautiful’”?
“I am just telling you the truth. God’s ways are not our ways. But ‘God works all things together for good to them that love God…’. Do you love God?”
“No. Right now I hate God.”
“Ooooh, be careful, friend, that’s no way to respond to a sovereign, holy God. You need to submit to his plan even it you don’t like it.”
Jake took a sip of coffee and looked around the diner and then at the holy man next to him. The waitress behind the counter rolled her eyes at Jake. He slightly nodded in response. Am I in the twilight zone? he thought. The man was rambling on.
“And that’s how God works. He planned your grandson’s death before the foundation of the world…all for his glory.” Jake wanted to knock the man to the floor, but he just glared him.
“You see, God wanted your grandson in heaven more than he wanted him on earth. So, God just took him…”
“Jason.”
“…Jason to heaven to make heaven a more beautiful place and to make you want to go there, too. Will you go to heaven when you die? Oh, God is so wise.”
And you are a flaming idiot, Jake thought. He gulped the last of his coffee and gave the waitress some money. He got up and walked out.
He heard as the door closed behind him, “…and have a blessed day.” The waitress, in refilling the holy man’s cup, poured black coffee all over his Bible. By accident. Or was it planned before the foundation of the world?
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the holy man’s cup runeth over
nancy,
the holy man’s mouth runneth over, too
Sad that this has probably happened more than once.
Daniel,
I agree with you, even though I made a fictional, composite character mouthing all the cliches from a classical determinist pious viewpoint.
John
Like the Calvinist who, after falling down the stairs, gets up and brushing himself off says, “Well, I am glad we got that over with.”
Well said, John. Brings to mind the many times I wish I had a pot of hot coffee handy!
John,
I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of weeks now and I really enjoy it.
Your story touches close to home. My wife and I lost a child in a similar way years ago and some well-meaning friends made similar statements. Why do we feel the need to explain God?
Job’s friends were doing a wonderful thing until they started to talk.
Tom
Duane,
At a more serious level we could say the humorous Calvinistic response reflects sheer fatalism. Classical deerminism requires a divided mind—part of the brain holds to divine fatalism (the all inclusive decree of God) and the other part tries to live as a true (free) human being.
Tom,
I am sorry for your loss. Give my best to your wife. USAmerican evangelical piety has created, sadly, an army of well-meaning “Job’s friends” who have to offer comfort from a warped view of God’s “control” of all things. Like you know, the reality of God’s presence in pain is more comforting than any alleged “reasons” why things happen. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting.
Why do we look at death so? How come it’s a time of sadness? How come it’s a time of pain? – I’m thinking, should this be so? Do we need to change as Christians our understanding of death? – death is not the end but the beginning. The Early Church Father’s view of death was a lot different than ours today. Am “I” sincere in “My” belief that there is life after death? – let my behaviour reflect that belief. Once again I thankyou for this post.
I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing; but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive. Apostle Paul.
Mark R,
Paul allowed the Thessalonians to grieve the death of loved ones–so he knew that death was still a human tragedy. Yet, he encouraged grief with hope in view of the resurrection of the dead in Christ. So your being pulled in two directions (tension) is the human experience regarding death.
[...] Good News in the Diner John Frye writes a bit of fiction — or is it? I was wincing through much of the piece. [...]
Sadly something like that actually happened to my friend… His son died shortly after birth and, whilst my friend was still in the room with his son’s body, his pastor talked about it being all in God’s plan and all that. Anyway my friend is an ex-RAF man and turned and flattened the minister with a left hook…
The thing with cold hard truth statements like those relating to God’s will/sovereignty, is although they may be true, there are times when they should not be said, and thats the essense of wisdom I think…
Subversive Influence,
Thanks for the link. I appreciate it.
Peace.
DrNick,
I am sorry to hear about your friend’s experience. What some do “in the name of comfort” is truly sad. I am shocked (and a little pleased) by your RAF friend’s left hook
Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Peace.