Lingering in the Ifs

A leper’s hope

A leper’s faith

Spoke and said, “If you are willing…”

Granted the affectionate touch before the requested miracle to be made clean

A father’s hope

With little faith and much desperation

Spoke and said, “If you can…”

Gentle rebuke of the unbelief

Strong rebuke of the lying thief

Hope no longer disappointed now fulfilled

Broken-spirited child now whole and healed

Two sisters’ hope

With much faith and perhaps some desperation

Faith longed for a healing instead 

            found a beloved brother now lying dead

            …faith now disappointed…

Both spoke and said, “If only…”

If only you’d been here

If only you’d come

To heal the friend you’d once called dear

You’d needed only speak and the miracle would’ve been done

But you lingered.

You remained.

You stayed.

You made us wait and now… it’s too late

If only…

The Creator need not hope

He knows the greater glory to come

The Resurrection and the Life

Spoke and said—

            Dead man come out!

            Come out of the tomb.

            Remove the grave clothes that bind.

            Live afresh, anew, alive.

We hold the Ifs in our hearts

Limited imaginations, we know not all the parts

Of His will, His ability, His glory, His plan

When He lingers, our faith dwindles, failing to understand

We fear our faith, our hope, will be disappointed

But fear and faith do not go hand in hand

The One who willingly touched the leper in compassion

Fulfills all our Ifs beyond anything we can imagine

He was able to rebuke the spirit and stand the child to his feet

He lovingly lingered to call out death’s defeat

He who lingered, remained, stayed behind,

Calls us to the same when He says abide.

Linger with Me in your “If you are willings…”

Remain with Me in your “If you cans…”

Stay here with Me in your “If onlys…”

They said, “If you are willing, if you can, if only you’d been here.”

In abiding we discover, He is.

            …willing…

            …able…

            …here…

He is.

Abide.