What Shall I Say?

 1757 was a very difficult year for the Edwards household. I am of course not referring to my family. I am talking about Jonathan and Sarah Edwards. It started with the unexpected death of their son in law Aaron Burr. Burr served as the president of Princeton College. Not long after his death those looking for the next president of the college turned their attention to Jonathan Edwards. He accepted the position which meant a separation from his wife of 30 years. 

Edwards had not been on the job very long when he took a small pox vaccination. He got a fever from the vaccine from which he did not recover. He died prematurely and unexpectedly. There were no telephones or internet service. News traveled slowly back to Sarah about his death. 

Ten days after Jonatan died, Sarah wrote a letter to their daughter, Esther, which has now become famous. She wrote, "What shall I say? A holy and good God have covered us with a dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod and lay our hands over our mouths. The Lord has done it. He has made me adore His goodness, the we had him so long. But my God lives and He has my heart."

Esther never received that letter. She died from a fever two weeks after the letter was written. Sarah now had three deaths to grieve in a short period. Sadly, Sarah also died in the year on 1757. Very tough blows for the Edwards family. 

Jonathan is considered one of the most brilliant theologians who has ever lived. He wrote numerous books that are considered classics and still read today. He also was dismissed from his beloved flock he served faithfully for 30 years. They did not like a theological stand he took and voted to fire him. He spent some time working in obscurity in a little country mission before taking the presidency of Princeton College. He did so much in his relatively short life. You cannot help but wonder how much more he could have accomplished if he had lived longer. I am sure these are thoughts Sarah wrestled with in the days after her husband's premature death. 

The depth of her love for God and trust in Him shines through her letter. A holy and good God she called Him. She wrote about kissing the rod of affliction and laying her hands over her mouth that she would not sin against God in blaming Him. She recognized that God took her husband. It was not an accident. Still she had faith to adore the goodness of God. 

The way we deal with adversity speaks a lot about our relationship with God. Hudson Taylor lost two wives and several children while serving in China. He faced enormous pressure in providing for over a hundred missionaries by prayer and never asking for financial help. He said something that cuts me deeply today. "It is not so much the greatness of our troubles, as the littleness of our spirit, which makes us complain." I complain with ease at the slightest inconvenience. It reveals how shallow my faith really is. 

What shall we say? Each of us faces adversity. How we face it is the issue. Do we maintain faith, joy, and hope in the dark days of distress? Do we cling to God and His goodness and trust Him even when we do not understand? May we also learn to kiss the rod and lay our hands over our mouths. What shall we say. Like Sarah Edwards may we say God is holy and good and He has our hearts.