Praiseworthy Enough?

I have a question I have been mulling over lately, a test, if you will. The test? “Is catastrophe praiseworthy?”  My hypothesis?  “Praiseworthiness can only be validated through the good that comes through God.”

One can not simply make a hypothesis without verifying it through empirical data.  Let me share a most recent experience to help you track with my theory.  A couple of weeks ago I learned a new term, “The Widow Maker“, which refers to the main artery in the heart.  My wife shared this terminology with me as she overheard multiple doctors discussing an astounding result – Kim’s Father, sitting in his hospital bed, alive and well!  Let’s go back a bit to Thursday night, the time of her father’s heart attack.  A massive blood clot entered his left coronary artery with a swift and fierce burning sensation.  To be clear, this is deadly, but not the same as cardiac arrest.  However, if not properly treated within less than 20 minutes, the Widow Maker has a highly effective kill rate as a result of cardiac arrest.  Empirical data: Kim’s Father had 100% blockage for more than 20 minutes; Kim’s Mother was present (phone in hand) at the onset; The Paramedics Post was literally a block away; The hospital – less than 2 miles away; The doctors identified the clot location, removed it and added a stint opening a path of blood flow, saving Kim’s Father’s life.

Let me add some more experiential data to a potentially theoretical praise.  Earlier in the morning, prior to Kim’s Father’s heart attack, I was discussing with my two oldest children how God intervenes to protect us.  My attempt was to communicate with Micah and Grace how the LORD intervenes in our lives to protect us, not knowing that He was going to do just that for their Grandpa hours later.  A common discussion Kim and I have with our children in situations like these is a matter of choice.  We can believe in great coincidences, or we can believe in a Great Physician who orders our circumstances for His great glory.  The latter is something we could go on and on about in how God was glorified through this life threatening event.

So I will leave you with one simple verse of Scripture to bring my hypothesis home.  “We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about His power and mighty wonders.”Psalm 78:4 NLT

I’d say that the empirical data speaks for itself in how praiseworthy our LORD truly is.  God is more than worthy of our praise, accolades and mad props – no matter what the circumstances are.