When God Speaks


Further to the discussion regarding the sixth petition of the Lord's prayer, and Pope Benedict XVI's superb catechesis, which I posted here, I stumbled on this Youtube video of Nabeel.

Back in July 2009, I lost control of my car in a torrential downpour and the one passenger, my seven year old daughter Ruth, was killed. So began the darkest, most difficult period of my life so far. A period of my life I am still very much in. Through that time I have felt desperate, alone, utterly empty. But I have also felt continually comforted through the grief and pain by my wife and children as we suffered together, but also, in a very real and tangible way, by God.

Nabeel Qureshi was a Christian convert from the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam. He also wrote three books, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity (Zondervan, February 2014), Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward (Zondervan, March 2016), and No God But One—Allah or Jesus (Zondervan, August 2016). He died of stomach cancer last September (2017) at the age of 34.

I found Nabeel on Youtube and was immediately moved and inspired by his story of conversion as well as his zeal for the risen Christ. I was very sad when he announced that he had been diagnosed with late stage stomach cancer and watched as he struggled with coming to terms with his impending death. Terrifying, heart-breaking, bewildering. Even someone with my faith could not help but wonder why did God allow this testing? Why did God not heal Nabeel?


Listening to this video blew his wife away as her dead husband speaks to her saying just what she needs to hear at this impossibly difficult time. It blew me away too, because it brought back in a rush so many memories of things like this that God has worked in my life and Louise's life since we lost Ruth.

God does speak to us, and He speaks so clearly. Sometimes we hear Him best in the depth of our pain, when everything else has been stripped away; all the control, all the arrogance and self-assuredness. When we are empty and distraught and, like frightened children (Mt 18:3), have nothing but to turn to our heavenly Father with aching, pleading hearts--then we are in a place to hear Him most clearly.



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