Just a few months shy of 15 years ago my oldest son, Corbin, was born. Talk about a fulfilling moment in life! This was it! This was everything that we had hoped for and prayed for in our lives. We had Cherish, who was 4 at the time, and was a scale model of her mother making her the second most beautiful girl in the world. And, just like every juvenile Christian couple does, we prayed relentlessly for our soon to be second-born child. We prayed the typical prayers for a healthy pregnancy, for a miraculously pain free delivery—every once in a while I prayed that one for Erica too. But we also went above and beyond as we prayed for Corbin. We also prayed very specifically and ultimately to His misfortune that our second child would 1. Be of the male gender, and 2. that he would be as much like me as Cherish was like her mother! And praise God, He answered that prayer! When that boy was born it was like God had photo-shopped my picture onto his tiny little body. I mean, it was so apparent that I had to think to myself later that it’s a good thing I was a contact wearer back then because I don’t know how he would have made it out with his glasses intact. It was that obvious!
So we were the perfect family of four. Two 21 year olds with mini-me’s. It was perfect! But that initial joy was somewhat short lived. What I didn’t realize at first was that though I thought I had prayed very specifically for my son I had left out some very critical requests. When I asked for a son who was just like me what I really meant was a son who looked like me but that didn’t have all of my flaws. I got just what I asked for and so, here was Corbin my miniature clone—ruggedly handsome and instantly lovable, but incredibly lazy and addicted to sugar! This kid would not even try to eat. And, when he did eat the only thing he wanted was one of those bottles of sugar water they give you in the hospital. What a lesson to learn about prayer, right! But that will be for another time.
So we worked with him, we enlisted some help and tried to get him to eat. He made a little progress and the doctor thought he was doing well so we got released from the hospital and went home. But despite our efforts Corbin just still didn’t get it. We kept working with him and doing all the things they told us to do but nothing was working, he began to get weak to the point he just wouldn’t even wake up. We knew something wasn’t right so we loaded up and headed back to the doctor. When we got there he confirmed what we feared, things just weren’t right. Something was wrong but he didn’t know what and Corbin, having lost about 30 percent of his birth weight and not responding was airlifted to the NICU in Wichita. (I know this is kind of dramatic but just for the record Corbin is ok and mostly normal today.)
I know for those of you who have children you don’t have to imagine how intense situations like this can be. This is your world, your life. And it is in that moment that you realize NOTHING ELSE MATTERS! As soon as we got the word that they were flying him out to Wichita there was nothing that would keep us from being with him. Nothing else mattered. Jobs didn’t matter, friends and relatives didn’t matter, money didn’t matter. This was suddenly the only thing that deserved our attention, and we would do whatever we had to do to be with him and make sure that he was being taken care of. And I can’t imagine that there is anyone here who wouldn’t feel and act the same way.
I believe that in this sentiment we can see a picture of our heavenly father. And that, in many ways, our situation as human beings is very similar. You see, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Next he fashioned a living background in which he could watch his creation flourish. Then he filled the earth will all manners of living things—the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and the beasts of the field. Even the creepy crawlies. Then, after all of the creatures were in place and seeing that he wanted one that was in his likeness, he crowned all of his creation with His greatest work yet. He made man. He made man in His own image. He made a son. One that was created to be in communion with him. And oh the joy that he had in His perfect creation! But that initial joy was short lived. There was that time when all was right. When all was in order. It was perfect. But then our laziness and addiction to sugar got us into trouble. We became sick with sin. We were dying. It was in that moment that God said, “Nothing else matters.” And through all of history see a singular focus. God would spare nothing to see that the crown of His creation would be made well again. That we would enjoy his presence. That we would have communion with him again and He would receive all the glory for what he has done.
As we continue to celebrate the Lenten season it is a reminder, to me at least, of that singular focus that God had to restore us that ultimately culminates with and was wrought through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Those are powerful names aren’t they—Lord and Savior. But, I think that if we are not careful we will allow those words to shade over another and equally powerful one, Son.
Just a few minutes ago I told you that I was at a place where I said “nothing else matters.” Well that is mostly true. But when I get really honest about it I have to concede that other things did matter. I would not have given up my daughter for the sake of my son. I wouldn’t have given up my wife so that Corbin could live. For me, other things did matter. But I am so grateful that God not only steered all of history toward one event and when the time came he did not withhold even his own son! And when I realize that he did all of that just so that we could experience the joy of fellowship with him…how awesome is that! Now add to that the fact that God was in no way bound by duty to deliver us. He did it solely out of his love for and desire to commune with his creation, double wow! And, in a fashion that only God himself could—he took the greatest tragedy in all of human history and made it the greatest triumph for us who never could deserve it.
Nathan Engelman 