the shark and the turtle will swim together

We stared through the thick panes of glass for a long time. Fish swam by. Sting rays. sharks. Our agenda: we were looking for the turtle. He always comes by at some point when we visit and we hadn’t seen him yet this time. My daughter Emily feared the worst: had our friend the turtle been consumed by one of the sharks? I felt sure he hadn’t, but my sweet girl was convinced he had been someone’s dinner – and I had no absolute proof. only words.

Finally. At the last big window into the aquarium, our friend the turtle passed by. We were able to leave with a feeling of relief. Mr. Turtle was okay. Emily and I talked a bit about the animals in the exhibit. The shark and all of those teeth can be quite alarming… neither of us are interested in deep sea diving these days that is for sure.

But there’s coming a day…

I was reminded of all of this yesterday after a visit to the hospital. A sweet friend of mine had been admitted on Easter Sunday. She struggles with several chronic diagnosis, that keep her ill, in and out of health facilities. I sat with her to keep her company by chatting about our girls, looking at Easter pictures and anticipating upcoming vacations. We gave our conversation mostly to life -giving, hopeful thoughts.

Whenever I walk through another facet of her illness with her I have to pray a lot. I watch her as these illnesses try to consume her; they taunt me while I hope and entreat God for her healing and survival. I confess that in these times I struggle with doubting God’s mercy. How can this be His will? How can He allow it? And because He does, should I consider Him merciful? These are just my honest questions. This morning I do not have any answers… but one…

There is coming a day of reckoning. It will be a day when all will be made right. The Bible describes a time when the lamb will be able to lay next to a lion without fear. I believe this means we will be able to deep-sea dive in the ocean without fear of sharks and their teeth. My dear friend will live without burden of disease and illness. Life as we know it will be redeemed. This earth will be made new and Satan will no longer be able to devour us with sin and death.

I read these words from Isaiah 35 this morning and was filled with a new confidence:

4 Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you.”
⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
⁶ Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.
⁷ The parched ground shall become a pool,
And the thirsty land springs of water;
In the habitation of jackals, where each lay,
There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
⁸ A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
But it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool,
Shall not go astray.
⁹ No lion shall be there,
Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it;
It shall not be found there.
But the redeemed shall walk there,
¹⁰ And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.