Helpless & Uncomfortable

I didn’t want to write this entry. I have been uncomfortable for the past week, following the news about the little two-year-old boy, Julen, who fell down a long narrow borehole on a mountainside in Totalan, Spain. Over ten years ago I myself studied in Spain, about 30 minutes away from where this tragedy has now taken place. And, I have a two-year-old little boy. My heart strings were and are attached to him, empathizing with his pain, condition, and the hearts of his family and loved ones. 

The effort to rescue him has been slow-moving. The equipment needed to begin excavation had to be delivered, and much deliberation took place as to the method they would use to create a tunnel to reach him. Five days passed before digging even began, with more obstacles and setbacks along the way.

Uncomfortable. Terribly, devastatingly uncomfortable. I can’t imagine how this family is getting through each day. As I write this entry it’s going on the ninth day that little Julen has been trapped, and no contact has been made with him since the beginning. Every day that I lay my two-year-old little boy to sleep in his warm, soft bed, my heart is uneasy contemplating Julen’s condition.

Personally, I feel so small, so helpless here, but I pray Jesus supernaturally heals the hearts of Julen and his family, calms and renews their spirits, and fills them with His unconditional love and supernatural perseverance. Right now no one can say anything to this family to make them feel better in these moments; these are long and grueling days, in which their suffering must seem endless and overbearing. What could comfort them? That is why I once again get on my knees, pouring out my heart to the One who can bridge any continental gap, answer any petition. HE is THE RESCUER.  

How can we trust God in times like this? Because there is NO ONE ELSE to turn to. Thankfully we don’t serve a fake god, but rather the great I AM who has proved His power throughout the ages. “Great is Our Lord and mighty in power,” reads Psalm 147:5. There is no one else to run to but God Himself. It’s uncomfortable to us, because we always want God plus our efforts, or God plus an easy solution. In predicaments like this with Julen and his family, I recognize that they are experiencing a complete stripping away of all they would normally cling to. Helplessness is their unwanted companion. It’s deeply and utterly UNcomfortable. Uncomfortable for the onlookers like myself as well, whose compassion has driven us to tears, desperation, and prayer pondering the tragic accident. 

Yet, this uncomfortability can bring about a much-needed awakening. If we hold firmly to Jesus, Our Only Hope and the GIVER of COMFORT, for the first time we are truly realizing we’ve never been in control. It was all a facade. 

The rescue efforts have taken a long time in this case, and I think everyone is bracing for hard news. Nevertheless, I simply remember that GOD can always do the miraculous. Even so, The Bible reminds us in John 12:37, “Although Jesus had performed many signs in their presence, they still would not believe him.” Oh yes, we are a stubborn people, so quick to forget the SOURCE. 

Since following this story for over a week now, many times I have awoken in the middle of the night to pray once again and check the news to see what advances have been made. The longer the rescue, the more desperate we can become. My prayers have now shifted their focus from getting Julen out to simply asking Jesus to be His rescuer, whatever that may mean. It feels less uncomfortable when I begin to place my trust and HOPE in God alone. Why? Because He is the One who saved Daniel from the lion’s den, who spared Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace, and conquered the grave. He has the power over life, death, and everything He has made. He can always intervene supernaturally. HE is THE RESCUER. 

Psalm 91:14-15