The Big Question

I have to admit, it stings a bit when God heals someone of Stage 4 cancer or some other serious and terminal illness. Not because I’m not happy for those people—I really am, and I praise God along with them for their healing! It just reminds me that God chose not to do the same for Joe.

We know God is all-powerful, that sometimes He does heal, that He is good and that He loves us. There were hundreds of people praying for Joe for several years. So why didn’t God heal Joe?

Joe liked discussing the big things, even as a little boy. He was curious and we had great conversations as he was growing up… conversations about eternity, the cosmos (age seven: “what’s beyond the universe?”), good and evil, atonement, … I am not an intellectual, but I answered his questions the best I could, with the Bible as my guide.

A while back I visited and prayed for someone who has advanced cancer and wants desperately to be well and stick around for the sake of her family. On the way home I found myself wondering again why God chose not to heal Joe.

It occurred to me (and this is pure speculation—I could be wrong) that maybe God didn’t heal Joe because... is it possible Joe didn’t want to be healed?

I’ve shared with you before that Joe often felt displaced, like he didn’t belong here. I know he really looked forward to heaven, even before he was diagnosed with cancer. Perhaps God was showing mercy to Joe by granting his desire to be with Him?

Of course that doesn’t address the question of why God doesn’t heal some people who desperately want to be healed. I can’t even speculate about that. I only know He is good and His perspective is perfect.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. —Philippians 1:21

Joe (during cancer journey) at concert with sister Jamie. I chose this photo because of the kind but faraway look in his eyes.