Papa, Look!

    Have you ever been so burdened about something that you couldn't sleep?  I suppose we all have at one time or another.  I don't know about you, but on those occasions, I spend those sleepless hours pouring out my heart in prayer.  There is nothing else I can do.  So many things come into our lives that are out of our control, and we desperatly want help.  Maybe it's a diagnosis, a broken relationship, a financial dilemma, a natural disaster, or even political upheaval.  Around the world, no matter what your age, race, creed, or national allegiance, life brings times of struggle that threaten to overwhelm.  It is then that we are faced with our own frailty, and then that God can show Himself most faithful.  The problem is, we often fail to see His faithfulness because of our own disappointed expectations.  

    The past few days my heart has been very heavy for the people of Afghanistan, especially my fellow Christians.  Reports coming from believers there have been alarming and frightening, and I was praying fervently for them the other night.  I often get a picture in my head when I pray as I think about coming "boldly before the throne of grace," and as I was praying and thinking about that picture, a story took shape in my mind.  For me, it helped put things in perspective and calmed my troubled heart.  I thought I would share it in the hopes that it would encourage you to trust our Heavenly Father no matter what it is you are facing. 

"Papa, Look!"

    Franticly, I ran as fast as my small legs would carry me towards the great banquet hall.  I knew Papa was entertaining important guests, but this was an emergency, and he had said I was always allowed to come to him if I needed anything.  My heart was pounding as I hurried past room after room in the palace.  I must hurry!  Papa must know!  Surely, He can fix this terrible trouble!  

    My thoughts raced faster than my feet as I thought about what I had just witnessed.  Several of my brothers and sisters had taken a walk outside the city walls.  They were planning to enjoy a picnic on the grassy knoll just south of the palace.  I had watched from my bedroom window as they laughed and sang, soaking up one of the last beautiful summer days before the chill of fall set in.  I smiled as they spread their blankets and opened the baskets of food they had brought along.  Next summer I would be old enough to join them, and I began daydreaming about the fun I would have on such an excursion.

    Suddenly, my daydreaming was cut short by movement I saw in the trees just beyond the picnickers.  A glint of steel caught my eye as a group of marauders sprang from their hiding places and charged towards my siblings.  I could see my brothers jump to their feet and draw their swords.  My sisters tried to flee back to the castle but were soon surrounded by the enemy.  I watched my oldest brother, Basel,  rush to the girls' defense, but he was struck down by a harsh blow before he could reach them.  I screamed and jumped panic-stricken from the window seat.  I ran from my room and raced desperately towards Papa. Someone had to help them, or they would all be lost.

    As I rounded the corner of the corridor and approached the great Banquet Hall, my breath came in short gasps, and tears threatened to pour down my cheeks.  Two guards stood at their posts in front of the large mahogany doors.  I skidded to a stop in front of them.

    "Let me in!" I demanded.

    "Princess," the nearest guard answered stooping down to my level, "The King is busy with very important guests.  He said he was not to be disturbed."

    I placed my balled-up fists on my hips and stomped my small slippered foot on the marble floor. "I don't care!  Papa said I was always to be allowed to go to him, and this is an emergency!"

    He looked up at the other guard and shrugged.  They knew the orders, and they knew they could not stop me.  

    "Alright, Princess, in you go," the guard said as he backed away and swung open the large door.

    I scurried past the two before they could change their minds and scanned the room for Papa.  Several richly dressed guests stood facing the front of the hall and blocking my view.  The fine outfits would normally have captured my attention, but today I only saw them as an obstacle.  I rushed up to the closest stranger and tugged on his scarlet cape.

    "Please, let me through, I must see Papa."

    The gentleman gave me a brief glance and stepped aside.  I pushed and shoved my way past the others, growing more frantic as the seconds passed.  Finally, the last guest parted for me, and I raced to my Papa's side.  He was sitting on his throne near the head of the table and was speaking intently to the last guest I had just shoved out of my way.  Without looking down, he scooped me up and placed me on his lap.

    "Papa--" I tried to interrupt, but he placed his hand on my shoulder in a gesture that I knew meant to wait my turn.  I fidgeted for a few seconds and tried again.  "Papa," I whispered rather too loudly.  Still my Papa, the only one who could help me, continued to speak to the man in front of him.  I tugged on his sleeve, but still he did not address me.  Panic gripped me as I looked out the small window on the wall to my left and saw my brothers fighting valiantly, but futilely, to protect my sisters and themselves.  Several of them already lay on the ground unmoving.  Suddenly, I was filled with anger at this guest who was taking up my father's attention.  Why is he so special that my dear Papa would ignore me and his other children in their hour of greatest need? 

    I turned my frustration and impatience on Papa.  Reaching up, I grasped his face in my small hands and tried to turn his eyes toward the window.  "Papa!  You must look out the window!  Your children are in danger!  Call out the guards to help them!"

    With only a brief glance in my direction, he stood and set me back on the edge of the throne.  He patted my head, and I rallied with anticipation that help would soon be on the way.  I was baffled as, instead of hurrying from the room, the king strode to the man he had just been addressing.  He motioned to a servant standing near the wall who was holding a red pillow with a beautiful crown resting on it.  As the servant approached the king, Papa turned back to me.

    "Come, Little One," he said motioning for me to join him.

    I slid down from the throne and approached, bewildered by my Papa's behavior at such a time.  I saw tears of joy fill both their eyes while tears of impatience threatened to pour from mine.  He motioned for me to hand him the crown, and the servant bent down for me to reach the jeweled headpiece.  Other than Papa's, I had never seen such a spectacular crown.  It glistened in the light, and the jewels sent a kaleidoscope of colors dancing around the room.  He smiled as he took it from me, and I watched as he turned to the guest.

    "Because you counted not your own life dear, but were faithful to your king with your dying breath, I place this crown upon your head.  Come, now, and forever rest from your labors."  He placed the crown on the head of the guest, and I watched as Papa put his hands on the man's shoulders and looked deeply into his eyes.  His next words were spoken with an earnestness I had never heard from Papa before, "Well done, my dear son, well done." 

    Suddenly, I looked up at the man's face.  Could it be?  But how was it possible?  Amazed, I gazed at the face of Basel.  The very one I had seen out the window of my bedroom as he fell defending the others.  He smiled down at me and gave me a quick wink before turning back to our father.  The king motioned for him to join those already feasting at the banquet tables.  As he walked away the king took my hand and led me back to the throne.  Once seated he placed me back on his lap and looked into my eyes before speaking.

    "Little One," he began, "you must understand that I knew about your brother and the others long before you burst into the room.  I knew the evil that would befall them, but I also knew the joy that awaited them."

    I shook my head in confusion.  "But if you knew what would happen, why did you let them go out on the picnic?"

    Before he could answer, the banquet door opened, and the guards entered and announced, "Another honored guest, Your Excellency."  I watched as another finely dressed man entered and my father greeted him the same as he had Basel.  I looked up at his face and saw Dalir, another of my brothers, smile down at me. The same crown was placed on his head, and he joined Basel at the feast.  

    Back at the throne, Papa continued to explain to me what had happened.  "When the enemy attacked my children today, they offered them their lives if they would only denounce me as their father and king.  It was their choice to do so, but they refused.  Because of that, they have paid dearly with their lives.  Now, I honor them for their faithfulness."

    Before we could continue, the doors opened again.  All throughout the evening, I watched as my dear papa, the King, welcomed his faithful sons home, one by one.  I began to thrill with them as they received their crown and their father's high praise.  As the hours passed, I began to forget the terrible scene from earlier in the day and instead began to marvel in the laughter and joy coming from around the table.

    "Papa," I asked when we were seated together once again, "How is it they are so happy when they just suffered so terribly?" 

    "Ah, Little One, now you begin to ask wise questions," he said smiling down on me.  "You asked earlier why I allowed them to go even though I knew what would happen.  Often, it is hard for a child to understand all the reasons a parent has for the decisions he makes.  I will only say that because I gave your siblings the freedom to choose or reject me, I was also bound to give the invaders the same choice.  Sadly, they did not choose wisely."

    I started to look back to the window, and he put his strong arm around me.  "Oh, I know," he assured me, "it looks as if evil has won a victory.  In fact, they think so as well.  They will soon find that it is but a fleeting victory.  In fact, they have won nothing except their own judgement."  He pointed to the table, now swelling with those who had stood true to the king.  "Your brothers and sisters, however, have this day won an eternal reward and the respect of the entire kingdom.  For all eternity, they will be remembered as 'The Faithful,' and the crown they wear will be theirs forever."

    I looked around the room, but saw none of my sisters gathered there. "Sisters, Papa?"

    Just then the doors opened, and a beautiful woman entered the room gazing in wonder at the others there.  I looked up at Papa, and he chuckled and nodded his head.  Jumping down from his lap, I ran as fast as I could to the young woman's side.

    "Delara, Delara! You're here!" I shouted and grabbed her hand in mine tugging her toward the other end of the room.

    "Sweet little sister, I'm so happy to see you!" She laughed, and her laughter rang like sweet bells through the hall.

    "Come, Sister, come!" I urged her.  "Papa is so anxious to see you. And there is a beautiful crown.  And you will be happy forever.  Oh, Sister, you were so brave, and Papa is so pleased. And so am I.  And there are lovely gardens to walk in every day, and--"

    I stopped chattering as I realized we had reached the throne and Papa was standing with open arms to welcome yet another faithful child home.

                                                        The end (or just the beginning).

  As this story took shape in my mind while I prayed, I felt a calm settle over my heart.  The frantic helplessness was replaced with the assurance that my Heavenly Father was still in control.  He reminds us that "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." (Proverbs 15:3)  Nothing escapes His sight, and although man has the right to choose to follow God or reject Him, and we may suffer as a result of their choice for a time, we are assured that the Judge of all the earth will do right. We often loose faith when we expect to see Him act on our timeline rather than His because we see only the trial ahead of us and not the victory awaiting us. "For I reckon (have concluded based on observation) that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)  

    I don't know what trial, pain, or difficulty may be causing you to loose sleep or question God's goodness, but remember, Christ warned us ahead of time that we should expect difficult times in this world, but He encourages us to have peace in our trials because we know He has already earned the victory over evil.  "These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  (John 16:33)  He has not promised that we would not face grief, but that He would never leave us or forsake us as we endure it.  We do not need to understand why when our trust is in an all-wise, all-powerful, just, and loving God.  We can cling to Him and know that even in terrifying situations, He will pass through with us, and even if it means our earthly lives, whether by disease, accident, violence, or war, if we have accepted Him as our Savior and King, we will be forever with Him in perfect peace.

     I will continue to pray for the Christians in Afghanistan and around the world who are persecuted for their faith. Hebrews 13:3 tells us to "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."  I pray for their protection as well as their faith to stand firm in the face of evil.  When faced with threats of imprisonment, the early Christians prayed for boldness to speak for God rather than fear man.  "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness, they may speak thy word." (Acts 4:29)  I pray for them to have wisdom, courage, and hope.

     Since starting this post, news of our fellow Americans lost in Afghanistan has been confirmed.  Please join me in prayer for their families and our nation at this grieveous time.  Evil is emboldened, but doomed.  The days draw ever closer when the Lord will set all things right. "Henceforth, there is laid up for me (reserved for me) the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (IITimothy 4:8)

"Even so,  come Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20)