Dad, Lazarus, and Sam Rutherford

Dad continues to get better. Yesterday marked one week since he was released from the hospital. He has gained a little more than 3 pounds back. I have found that hospitals are great to save your life but are not very good places to live if that makes any sense. Since bringing dad home I have thought a lot about Lazarus. C.S.Lewis wrote a poem about Lazarus where he points out that Lazarus was put in the unenviable position of dying twice. A little more than 3 weeks ago dad was at least three quarters of the way to heaven. We dragged him back by drilling a hole in his head. It is wonderful to have him back but I know it is only temporary. It is only temporary for any of us. The good news is dad still longs to be there. I read him Philippians 1:21-25 the other day. "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better, yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith." While I read dad had his eyes closed and when he opened them they were wet with tears. Every once in a while we find the passage of scripture where we are living right at that moment.
I read Samuel Rutherford today. "When we shall come home and enter to the possession of our Brother's fair kingdom, and when our heads shall find the weight of the eternal crown of glory, and when we shall look back to pains and sufferings; then shall we see life and sorrow to be less than one step or stride from a prison to glory; and that our little inch of time - suffering is not worthy of our first night's welcome home to heaven." If I can't write like that it is still a privilege to be able to read something like that.