Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 511 | Jase Gives Update on Mia’s Latest Surgery & Zach Discusses the Idea of Suffering

Episode Date: July 13, 2022

Jase tells the story about a trip he and Missy took with Mia for her last major surgery and shares the details of a stressful journey and trusting God. Zach explains how suffering allows you to see more of the glory of God. Phil jokes about the unwritten Robertson code: When you make a mistake, say something like "whoa" and don't linger in the moment so that you can move forward with what is good! And Al reveals the only power a person has left when he knows he has done something wrong. Sign up to watch the Unashamed overtime show, only on BlazeTV: https://BlazeTV.com/Unashamed - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? I feel like I'm come here to bear my soul. Well, this was on the last podcast. Out of all the people you could bear it to, we're two, your brother and your dad. And your first cousin, Zach's here. Yeah, Zach's here. We're all kin folks here. We all come out of the same. Well, I think most people.

People do a podcast and they have a subject, which is, you know, ours is the Lord, the author of the Bible. And we tell about our personal life, but, you know, things happen. And so we had, I had a pretty rough last few days. So the audience will know, we don't know, I don't, and you don't either, I guess, on what Jace is fixing to say. We have no idea. I have no idea. It's on his mind. Yeah.

Well, I just kind of plot. I plopped down here and I was like, it's been a rough week. So Missy was here on the last podcast and we were just kind of trying to rally the family because Mia was scheduled to have our last surgery. And your woman had made, she was, that was worth hearing what she had to say. So you'll know. Yeah, she was very good. She was very well-spoken.

She's amazing. She's come a long way. I'm having to remember that because our relationship, the past few days have been has been strained. And I'll tell you why. Now, I was bragging on you. The job has come a long way. But now you're fixing the drainage part.

I'm going to tell you what happened. I'll give you update on me. Look, we go over there, and we've done this for the last 18 years of her life. She's never gone six weeks without seeing a doctor. She's had multiple surgeries, and she has a condition that has to be managed. What's it called? Well, the audience of no. She has a cr-y-well, it's basically cranio-facial issues.

She has special needs in that she was born with a cleft lip and palate. And through all these surgeries, they have tried to give her a normal palate so that she can talk correctly, breathe, easily, and eat without any problems. those three issues are really the issues that she has. Most people, they just think it's all about how she looks, which that's always been secondary because, you know, talking, breathing, and eating,

those are pretty important things. Very much so. And how she looks, you know, as a young girl. So it's been a process. And when she quits growing, which is now she's 18, they kind of do the final touch-ups. Well, her biggest problem that led to this last surgery is she just has chronic sinus issues. Because we've noticed that, and Missy, I think she got this from her genetics.

I don't know. Could be on our side, too, because I have it. Well, I mean, what I'm saying is like, yeah, her sinus issues are a little different. I mean, it's like it's more severe. I mean, she really has a problem. And so they're like, well, there's a lot of scar tissue and missy's the same way when she has an injury she scars terribly and has a lot of scar tissue well Mia has a lot also like more than the average person

well you can think all these surgeries they've done in her nose and on her face it's just the doctor even said before we went into the surgery he's like you know it's just get aurella's just it's a mess and and we know that in inside her nose, we're going to try to do this without breaking any more bones or anything. So they're basically going up into her nostrils and trying to clean her canals out. So she doesn't have all these sinus infections, and they're more severe than the average human. So that was kind of the goal. And since it was going to be the last one, they were also, for the first time during this whole process,

they were going to try to make her look as well as possible while we're here. And so we talked about that. And so what we do, the process is you go over there. We try to have fun the first day because every time she goes, you don't want it to be a negative thing. So I gave her some money to go shopping and they went shopping. Because you have a pre-op day where they get the plan and look at her. Then the next day you have her surgery. So we were there three days, I guess.

And we went to the movies and one of these luxury movies, whether you have your meal there. I've heard about those. I've never experienced it. It was really nice. It was first one I had to. I've never been down that road. When's the last time you went to a movie? It was good.

Well, the problem is trying to find a movie is the problem. We actually saw that. The Thor? Elvis. Oh, the Time Cruise movie. Oh, the Maverick. You know, and it was actually really good. That's what I've heard.

It's done really well. And it was pretty clean until the end. They started dropping a few four-letter words. They always got to have that. But overall, I mean, it was. It was good. It was good. It was a good, maybe we had a good time.

So, and they get the plan. So then you, you know, you get up at like 4.30 in the morning and get to the hospital. It's just a long process. Where you even get to the surgery and they get the plan. Well, they do the surgery. And it was longer than they anticipated. It was probably three and a half hours. And he'd come out.

It's like, look, you know, I feel pretty good about it. Did the best we could. He took pictures of her, you know, and it, She looked great. I mean, they take pictures before because the swelling happened so quick that you can't, like right now. I mean, her head is, you know, quite swollen. So, and he felt good about it, but she just didn't, she just, she just didn't respond well, you know, to the anesthesia, which has happened before.

She was real nauseating. And so she didn't recover. We thought we'd have the surgery two or three hours later. We were bringing her back home. but we just got delayed and delayed and delayed. And so we wind up not leaving until 5 o'clock. Well, we're in Dallas. Well, I mean, we got discharged at 5 o'clock.

Ooh. And when I took a right and then a left, I cannot describe to you. Just the traffic was horrible. Yeah. And she doesn't feel good. I mean, she's coughing up blood and all this and just, but she is on some pain medication at this.

time so so anyway so we start and i'm already tired because i got before 30 and now i'm in the stressful situation i'm driving so uh about a couple hours into this it took us over an hour just to get out of dallas she's like and she can't speak so she's doing sign language and all but she basically conveys she's got to go to the bathroom so i was like what i mean we're i need to find the cleanest bathroom possible because you're already just thinking we got open wounds here and she's all bandaged up and just us going out in public you know so uh i thought to myself i was like well i'll hit a hit a starbucks because i need a coffee to keep me awake they're pretty clean bathrooms you know let's do this perfect plan so i'm fine in one because you know one in tarrell texas on i have to I'm having to pull over, you know, even to get my GPS working because Missy's dealing with Mia, and it's like, it's kind of dangerous. You know, I'm in charge of navigation.

It's stressful. I'm tired. And so I find the Starbucks. Sheep Missy takes her in there. I order the coffee. It was perfect timing. I got, I take the coffee, and where I messed up is I put the coffee on top of the console because the cup holders were full. Uh-oh.

And I meant to move something and, you know, but Missy's like, we're ready. Let's go. All right. So I'm looking and my phone is not loading the GPS because I had, because I'm not, I had to take turns and I wasn't real sure where I was at in all the hoopla. You got to remember, it was stressful already. So for some reason, I find myself taking a left and I'm going toward the interstate and I look up. and I'm on a one-lane road and there's a there's cars getting off the interstate headed right toward me you're going the wrong one and I look up and I thought you know typical Robertson

response these people are going the wrong way everybody with you that's right so I see at the entrance of the under state they have two big signs there do not enter do not enter and I thought so then you know what I had typical Roberts in response I I thought, y'all should have put those signs back where I got home. Somebody else messed up. Now it's become a dangerous situation. Nobody knows it but me, because they're preoccupied. Mia's moaning.

You have a very sick daughter, and you're going the wrong way. And a vehicle's coming. They zigged, I zagged. Well, all of a sudden, Mia cries out in pain, just like excruciating pain. Now she's been. The coffee does a double back. Oh, no. You scalded her with the coffee.

It's her leg. Oh, yeah. I mean, I mean, it's hot coffee. Well, then I have to pull over somehow. And literally, there's nowhere to pull over. I just pull over. In nowhere. Well, now I'm like, what is wrong with her?

Because I don't realize the coffee. I'm like, what's the problem? Because she was crying out in pain. Well, then I looked down and I see my coffee cup below her seat. like on the end that you drink out of, just perfectly sitting there. I mean, I grabbed the coffee and it was like a third of it still in there.

And so I love, I mean, she's in pain. Now I'm like, feel the, in that moment, I felt the worst I've ever felt in my life. Because I thought,

she is going through excruciating pain. And now you dumped a hot cup of coffee owner. Well, I looked over there at Missy and smoke is coming out of her ears and fire. I mean, she is hot. She's hotter than the coffee. She was so mad she couldn't even speak. She was trying to get her mouth to move.

What's the old saying? Hell hathno theory like a mad woman? Like a mother's scorn. So I thought, so I would grab paper towels and clean up, and we're putting ice on her because I had a waters and ice, and we're pouring coal water owner. And you got to remember, this car is brand new. I just bought it.

You know, Missy, well, that's another double whammy. Now there's coffee everywhere. I just thought, well, all I can do is apologize. And, I mean, I just saw apologize five or six times. Nothing. Was it like, it's okay? We forgive you. Yeah.

Too soon. They wanted you to sit in it for a little bit. None of it said earlier. How she's growing in the faith. All the stuff here about me position. Call your daughter. That'll bring it out. Sisting to, you know, because I got the car positioned.

Jace, the audience at this point, some of them are in the, are shedding serious tears. Oh, I know. And I thought in this moment, I thought under the old law, I remember, because now it's just silence after we got her, you know, the burns. subsiding. Now it's just dead silence for about a problem. Could you go to something, I know it's a long shot, positive that came out of all this? No. Well, we're still waiting. The trip to hell and back so you. This is three or four days later now and I still don't think my wife and I have had a meaningful conversation since. However, I had to make a, some spiritual applications because in these moments when you're at the lowest of lows

and because mea really struggled the next couple of things. What comes to my mind Jace is one of your famous verses and it's bringing it to the forefront is that love keeps no record of wrongs. Well Phil I went through that stage. There was a lot going awry here. Yeah I went through that stage in my mind and I thought that's why this would be a good story to make a spiritual application. But in the moment you're right you really have no recourse of than just say, I'm an idiot. I'm bad, right. I mean, I said it.

I'm an idiot. I'm stupid. Yeah, I think you progressed because the last, you didn't, at least you didn't say, bring up the suffering of Jesus and correlate that to what she was going through. Exactly. Yeah, that's progress. Palling it on, pile it on. You're showing growth from the last podcast.

Here's the point I was going to make. I went through the first. Hang on, hang on. Let's take a break. I went through the 30 minutes of. I apologize. I'm sorry. I'm doing the best I can.

Because it wasn't something I did on purpose. I mean, I accidentally did. Obviously, you didn't want a scholar. This is a where at the back. When did you finally get out of the, that suburbia around Dallas? I've been through there. I tried to make it. Took over an hour.

And that's what I was trying. I told you that back story to say that it was a stressful situation. Yep. And I was stressed out. So how is she doing now? Two or three days later. I think she turned the corner. some during the night

last night, which has been three or four days since the surgery. I mean, she really, it was rough. She fell for.

Is this her last major surgery? Yeah. She was nauseated, you know, just for days here now. And, you know, you just think about it. When I say nausea,

I don't mean, you feel a little quick. I mean, you're literally just, because you got to remember when you have a three and a half hour surgery and your head is tilted back, the amount of blood

that happens, happens here is extreme. Well, that's all draining down inside of you. Oh, people just don't do well. I hate to bring this up at this time, but it calls for it, I guess. Those who marry, Jace, will face many troubles in this life. I figure, I'm going to spare you this. Well, let me get to the point I was going to be.

That was a lot of trouble. I went through this first hour of silence. Because you got to remember my emotions are all already, because the worst thing in the world that I have noticed being on the earth over 50 years is to watch your child get butchered. I mean, and suffer. It's just there's a helpless, which we've seen it over and over and over. And just because this happened a lot doesn't take it out any time, does it?

And now I made this operation was number what, roughly? 20 something, huh? Well, like 14 major probably, but yeah, a lot of procedures. Well, Jay, sure to be commended to hold it all together. Well, I appreciate the encouragement, Phil. I needed it because, look, I thought about this. I thought, you know, I did 99 things right? Because we're veterans of this process at this stage.

And if you looked at all the moves I made during this process, I did 99 great things. I did one really bad thing. That was an accident. But it's like it was an accident that I just shouldn't have allowed to happen. I mean, I should have, no matter what, I should have secured that coffee. Because it was basically for me anyway. I think that's why Missy was just like fury, you know, like, you're worried about getting some coffee.

You could have somehow. And I was thinking, if I fall asleep at the wheel, guess what? All right. It's bad for all of them. I mean, I was really exhausted. You probably would have been better advised to just have someone with the hospital and whatever kind of ambulances they have from one point to another. Well, we've done that before, Phil, because you've got to remember.

Remember, this surgery wasn't supposed to be as rough as it was. And it surprised the doctor. He's like, we got in there. You know, I didn't mention that, but post-surgey, is like, we got in there. And there was just some more, there was more difficult than we anticipate. I mean, so, and that's how these kids are. They're only human themselves. Yeah.

I mean, look, everybody felt good about it, but it was just, it, we weren't prepared for, you know. So why is the swelling by now started to recede? Not really, but it will. weeks, you know, but she's, she's feeling better. And so anyway, so I was, I was having this thought to myself, because I went through the normal stages of like, well, I apologize. I did everything I could. And I thought, well, I'm going to make it up to her because she's, at some point, she said, they said she wasn't going to be able to eat anything for a couple days. And she, she wanted something to eat. And I was like, okay. I mean, she can't eat anything.

Yes. I mean, but just something to be soft. you know, but I figured she hadn't eaten in a couple days. So I thought, well, I'll try to make it right. So because I thought in my brain, what could she eat? Well, I thought, you know, Chick-fil-A has the macaron and cheese. She loves macaroni and cheese. So I figured out where Chick-fil-A was because the conversations are over. I'm not saying over.

It's just so much. And it was perfect because she had to go to the bathroom again. And so I stopped at Chick-Palais. She's like, what are you doing? I was like, I'm going to get her some macaroni and cheese. I mean, I think she ate like two of the noodles. But then I, so I told her, I was like, I'm trying to make up for my mistake. You know, I said, so are you ready to forgive me?

And she said, I'll think about it. That's what me. I said, well, there's hope. So now we had that. So I tried to make amends. And what I'm getting at is I thought, I went through the 30-minute stage of thinking, I've done everything I could do. I didn't do it on purpose.

I mean, Missy should at some point. say okay yeah it was actually but i thought to myself no i can't be trying to justify this was a this was like i did 99 things right one thing wrong but this is the equivalent of fumbling at the one yard line this was the worst possible scenario i said i'm not going to worry about that i just i messed up but it made me think about grace and that's it you're right it made me think about But you remember old Jack Exxon, the old preacher, you know, we used to listen to and things changed, Jack Exx. Yeah. He said, when a person has done something wrong, they have no power to do anything but say I was wrong.

That's it. And I thought that's always stuck with me because, you know, we want to do something to make it right. But I just, I'll never forget that. But in the, in us study in Hebrews and, you know, Phil, I think a couple podcasts ago, you know, brought up the amount of times that it talked about great. and, you know, I thought about that, Hebrews 416, let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, which was, I could not approach my daughter or my wife with any amount of confidence, because trust me,

no matter what I'd have done, I could have said, here's $10 million for your, you know, no, it wasn't going to happen. And so, and I think it's fine. It's fine for people to be in the moment. You know, it was terrible. I made a situation worse, even though it was not my intent. But I thought, man, how awesome it is that Jesus, you know, God in his plan,

allowed Jesus or sent. You know, I think it wasn't that he was just born. He sent him. And Jesus, one day at a time, it made me reflect on also chapter 5, where we just covered, when it said during the 5, 7, during the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death. And he was heard because of his reverent submission. And I just thought, you know, we're going to get to this verse where it says he became the source of salvation for everyone.

And my point is, we all know the story of Jesus and we know the life. But when you start thinking that Jesus one day at a time, stayed on that path despite all the opposition, even as a kid and learning and learning the Old Testament and knowing all these scriptures having them memorized because I think in their culture, they had memorized the whole Old Testament by the time they were 10. But all these verses about him.

And you think about Isaiah 53, I mean, what is he thinking when he's reading that, that he's going to be marred beyond human likeness and he's going to be persecuted and have lashes on his body. And so I just thought, man, all that just so we could, in these moments of mistake and failure and outright sin, to have that confidence of grace. I mean, that's why this story is better than any other story on the planet.

It's better news than anything that could happen. Because the bottom line is, things happen. Right. Life's difficult. I mean, I had a rough week and, you know, an accident. happened and made it worse, you know, but that's the kind of stuff that happened. I like that verse right after that in eight when it says, you don't think about this, he learned obedience from what he suffered.

Think about the God creator of universe. We know he's always been there, but what God would really never know is suffering because he's outside of that. But then by Jesus becoming a man, he learned something. He learned what it was to be a human being that he created. I mean, that's a pretty powerful thing when you think about it. Just think of all the difficulty that he had to go through. Right.

Because life is just tough. Well, when you're given an explanation for the age old question, why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? You know? Well, you learn to grow from it. You learn a lot from suffering. Learn a lot. Right. And just even in this case, I just, I mean, you're already realized a life lesson.

It's a teacher. Yeah. It teaches you. You know, there's not just your own suffering either. You learn from other people. Life itself is a struggle, Jason. Well, you see why people get into drugs, and when you think about why suicide happens, and it's because life becomes so difficult, and you lose hope.

And their faith suffers because of it. Why is this happening to me? I haven't done anything. What are I done wrong here? It's just a lot harder to deal with difficulty, but you're not going to have a life without difficulty. Well, here's something interesting, Jay. Let's take another break. So I didn't know any of this stuff that you just shared.

Well, it's not something I wanted to announce on social media. Well, you just did. What I'm saying is, here's what's interesting. So the night all this happened, this was all that happened on before you got home that Friday. Yeah, we got in way late, late, late. So the next night on Saturday, because so Jay's had like our former preacher, Trent, and his family were in town this weekend, and they were staying with Jason Missy. They were.

And then he also brought his pastor and wife from Colorado. Well, if you're wondering when I slept in all that, I didn't. Well, so we come down there. We cooked the food and bought a little bit, but we cooked the supper for that night because we were going to do that for Trent and his family. And we took it all down to Jason and Missy. So all this has happened, which I never knew. But Jason has a house full of people. On time of that.

Jace, I've been saying for years just from a reading of the entire Bible back and forth and making a few comments. But it does, I've often said, in other words, how do I word it? I'm like, you know, the rarest of commodities is peace of mind. Why are you following Jesus? What about it, Zach? It becomes a rare thing, you know? But what my point, go ahead. That's my favorite line that you say because I think it's, it resonates with us.

That was my point was that, Jace, I mean, knowing now all this had happened, and I already knew that, you know, me was really struggling, but you all held it together really well to host. I mean, we had 20 people there for dinner at your house when all this is more. And, you know, A.K. And you got a baby, yeah. Well, yeah. Who shall separate us from the love of God, Jace? shall trouble our hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword, you know. Well, our little baby that we're keeping, he was sick and it was nothing major.

I mean, but at the time I didn't know, I was like, we had dug him the doctor and he's, I mean, it's just a cold. And even that night, so after y'all left, we're sitting around, we're talking the pasture and trash. By the way, how long was the trip from Dallas to West Monroe, four hours, roughly? Normally four, but it probably took a lot longer. Well, you might have extended that up, please. Here's the deal.

Speaking of grace, I spent an hour in Dallas trying to get out of there. And my daughter was in pain because as this trip went on, the pain medication that she had taken. Start a wear it off. Oh, it didn't start. It wore off. So now we just have groans and pain. And so I just made an executive decision that you know how you have these rabbits on the interstate that are just throwing caution to the wind? Well, when one of them would come by me, I would just trail them.

So I wasn't looking at the signs. I was chasing the rabbit. So I probably made it. I hoping they get pulled over. Well, right. And so, you know, I thought, hey, I'm trying to be safe here. but I mean I'm I'm gonna get there as fast as I can I'm not gonna go crazy but I made it in about Friday yeah it was Friday night I made it in about five and a half hours which I think considering the traffic

that was pretty good I made up some time you definitely made up I wasn't just driving like a maniac but I mean I was trying to get home as quick as possible but we got there so she now though she's sleeping well and I mean you know no see that hasn't happened yet but I mean she's she turned the corn I mean you know there's a There's a moment in there. And we got her the right, we got her some medication that, uh, that helped with the nausea. That's the main thing. She's sitting nauseated. She was just in misery for, you know, you just imagine being nauseated for 72 hours. And you already feel terrible.

But, uh, because she's not, she doesn't take pain medication, like during the healing process. Initially she does, because I think you have to. But, uh, because it makes her nauseated. And so she's really a tough human being. She's doing well. What I was going to say is that night hour after y'all left, we were sitting there talking and it was almost 11 o'clock, which we didn't realize it was late.

Because here's our friend Trent and Kirsten. We had planned this before me a surgery by him coming. So then when the surgery happened, we were like, no, it's really not going to be that bad of a surgery. Everything will be okay. Of course, it just went dreadfully, you know, a lot worse than we thought. because they weren't going to come, they were going to stay with somebody else.

We're like, no, no, no, at that point. So here we are. I mean, we're all together, and we've done it. But about 11 o'clock, my phone started ringing on the table, and I had it on silence, and I was like, who is this, calling me at 11 o'clock at night? Well, look, it was Mia. But she's 30 feet away.

And so when I clicked it on, she was just horrible, you know, just all boning, and she couldn't talk. And so Trent's like, I guess that's our cue to leave because they're staying in our guest house, you know. So Missy took off running, you know, up there. But I was like, yeah, it's a tough, it was a tough situation. But it's getting better day by day. Yeah. Well, I hated it that it, me knowing that, I wish there was something more we could have done. But, I mean, sometimes you just have to endure.

There's not a whole lot to do besides just, you know, and she's, she's old enough now. I mean, she's, she knows the drill. I mean, she's been through this. And look, we've had rougher, sir. I mean, they've broken bones and moved her bottom jaw and top jaw. And you remember when we had to had that appliance in there and we had to turn a screw every day and move her jaw? Physically, I mean, we did that for weeks. I mean, there's been more difficult moments.

But I did want to say. I'd be glad when she heals up and so I congratulate her. Me too. But I wanted to say it was a lot of prayers and people support her. And look, this is why we have this ministry that she's now in charge of, the Mia Mu, that where we help these families and look, you're not like you're going to pay off all their bills and all. This is a... What's the text? Love is made perfect through suffering. Something to that.

Well, you give them hope and you encourage the, because it is a difficult, it is a very difficult. it is a very difficult journey for those kids because it's a it's a issue that can't be corrected it's just managed for till they quit growing and and these are the severe cases you know there's a lot of misinformation about there with with kids because a lot of kids the lip is common but they're they go in there and fix that but when you start getting into the palate and any other craniofacial issues. It becomes a really an 18-year process, you know, and so we're at the end. And even in y'all's case, as you were. Is that our last surgery as far as they know? We hope. Yeah. I mean, because then they got to,

they monitor and make sure everything, you know, goes well. You got to remember the problem is it, just the body wants to go back to the way it was at the beginning. And that's what causes all the problems. Yep. So all this structure that has been surgically created, altered. There's a tendency for it to want to go back to where it was. So, I mean, you're hoping everything holds up well. But Lord willing, we hope this is the last one.

Yeah. Which, but so much has been done, Jay, so over the last, over Mia's lifetime, you guys have seen innovation in this particular area that's been incredible. So, I mean, just one of the surgeries she had, I guess that was four or five years ago, she was only the, she was the second patient to ever undergo that procedure, you know, because I remember when he said that, he's like, I got good news. You know, there's a new surgery. And I was like, well, how many have you done?

He's like, well, this, she'll be the second one. And I thought, uh, and I kind of went like that. And he said, what's wrong? I said, I wish it was the third one. And he said, what do you mean? I was like, well, the first one, you probably see. how you could do some things better. But by the second one, I would rather then validate that those changes were good.

So I'd rather be three, but it's better than one. Wow. Into the mind of Jace Roberts. You learn a lot in this mindset. Let's take another break. It's a dangerous place to be. Dangerous place. So I know that story got long, but I think I needed some therapy here so y'all can

Today we were here for Jace. We were to lift him up. Well, I did want to break it up. Well, I will say the Robertson code, if there is one. It's not written, but there is one. If you make a slip-up with a sharp knife or whatever, it's usually something like, ooh, that's going to leave a mark. But then you go right on.

You know what I'm saying? We don't linger a lot on. No. Well, I did apply it to Hebrews and what we're reading, because, look, I found a lot of confidence. in the Word of God in that moment. And that's why I wanted to bring it up. I was like, family's hard. Marriage is hard.

Having kids is hard. Stressors are hard. Surgeries are hard. You know, accidents are hard. I mean, life can be difficult. And that's when you've got to, you know, dig your teeth into the Word of God and you pray. And you don't panic. You know, when you think about, I thought about a verse, I think I wrote it down.

Matthew 18. But you think about it, that's why you're looking that up. I can't tell you how many relationships have been severed and marriages have ended over really loss of a child dealing with, you know, really tough situations. Because it is hard on every aspect of a relationship. And when someone is suffering and hurting that you love and you can't do anything about it, I mean, it puts a ton of pressure. That's why a lot of people even will lose their relationship with God over it because they're just like, well, obviously, he doesn't care about me because this happened. So you're right. I mean, if you don't, the metal of your faith is tested the most when people you care about are hurting.

I mean, there's no doubt about that. It's the number, it's the number one objection to believe in God is, Phil mentioned it earlier, is why would an all-loving, all-powerful God allow pain and suffering? like we see on planet Earth. And I think it's a fair question, you know. And I mean, but people deal with that, you know. And I was thinking, Phil said earlier about this idea of suffering. And I love that passage in Hebrews that Jace brought up. And it made me think of John 17 at the end of it right before Jesus was about to go through

the most excruciating suffering that you could possibly imagine. I mean, he's going to be led to the cross. He's going to be whipped with a cat of nine tails, ripping the flesh off his back. You think about that picture of that Bill Gibson did and the passion. And he's about to enter into a level of suffering that we can't even comprehend. And this is what he says at the end of John 17. He said, Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me, where I am, so that they may see my glory, which you have given me for you love me before the foundation of the world.

or righteous father, although the world has not yet known you, yet I have known you, and these have known that you sent me, and I have made your name known to them, and I will make it known to them so that your love with which you love me may be with them and I and them. So even in like the, you know, when he's praying for this, like he's entering into his state of suffering, like his mind is fixed on the people that he loves, on us, on his creation. I mean, it's just, and the glory that came from. that. You know, you think about the other side of the cross where you have the immense suffering of the cross, but it's the immense suffering of the cross that paved the way and gave the

way for the resurrection and the glory that we all get to participate in now. So, you know, I just think our problem is, is we, our vantage points so small that it's hard for us to see what God's ultimately doing here. But, I mean, I have sympathy for people who are going to extreme suffering. Like Mia, I mean, he has gone through a lot. She really has. Well, I was going to read this verse that it was the parable about when injustice happens and this widow kept appealing to this judge. But the first verse in Luke 18 is what I want to zero in on where it says, Then Jesus told us disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

And it just hit me that in any situation, you have that decision. you can either panic or pray you can you know what's the preacher version of that you can worship or worry or you because eventually you come to a decision are you going to persevere or you're going to give up that's right and so that's why i think when you tie that end to where we're at in hebrews when he said in chapter six he said we in verse 11 we want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end in order to make your hope sure. I mean, if you don't stay to this to the very end, I mean, if you give up along the way,

that's what's so crazy about this Hebrew 6th because it really, you know, I told you all what I thought about. I don't think he was so much trying to give some kind of theological discussion about when a person falls away or, you know, when you cross the line. Other than to say,

you look at Jesus, you fall away from Jesus, you've missed it, you're in the wrong pasture. There's no way to come back without Jesus. There's no way to sustain yourself without Jesus. And so I got a lot of hope from that. And like Zach, I thought the same thing. I mean, I think that's what Romans 8 is also talking about when it says to be conformed into the likeness of his son, which you just think about his path from day one,

that he was making daily decisions headed toward a cross. Yeah. For us, that just, that goes against everything we believe. You're like, you're headed toward a cross. You've planned your whole life for 33 years where you're going to eventually go to a cross one day at a time, you know, even from arriving in Jerusalem. to, you know, you talk about that movie, The Passion, I mean, this is your goal to get here.

Yeah. I mean, which is why he had to, that's why he can relate to suffering. Yeah, one important. You know, Dad, let's tell you our last break. One important thing about suffering, he, Paul told the Corinthians and 2nd Corinthians 1 there, we do not want you to be uninformed brothers about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure far beyond our ability to endure so that we despaired even of life.

So they're really being mistreated. Indeed. In our hearts, we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, and this is the word that I'm lived by, but on God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us

as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. So it's just a way of looking at it. You know, I think the whole thing, Jace, if you want to say it, misery comes in all forms when we live on planet Earth for our kin folks, our family members, ourselves. But at the end of the day, we're preparing, literally are preparing to die at all times.

Yeah. And we're not giving up. I'm 76 years old. You say you're preparing for your death. That is correct. It's all in the hands of the Almighty. It helps with your hope. And then you see misery that comes to your children and the hurt.

By the way, so far in the Robertson clan, none of the children have passed on to the other side. We had to deal with something, you know, where death was involved. We've been blessed for sure. Been blessed mightily. But what's crazy about what we're going to read is he issues this warning about, not leaving Jesus and about, you know, growing up and mature. But then he almost comes in in the back half of chapter six, which is what we'll get into next time,

he starts talking about the certainty of the promise, starts talking about hope and this anchor of your soul. So it's like it comes back to that same question. He didn't want him to give up. And he mentions that as we'll go along. because life's going to be difficult. That's why I wanted to refer this Romans 8, because I thought about, you know, me and my daughter,

who's provided way more inspiration to me than I feel like I've provided to her just watching her these 18 years. And I thought about that phrase that, and all these things were more than conquerors through him who loved us. And, you know, I'm not sure what that phrase means more than a conqueror,

because I just think about it. her, this being the last surgery, I was like, I mean, she conquered. I remember thinking that. But then I thought, well, when you look back at Romans 8 in this passage, he says in verse 29, God, you know, those he forek knew, he predest to be conformed to the likeness of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. I'm like, we operate like Jesus, you know, despite all his opposition and all his difficulty and having to be humble, you know, humble himself and become obedient to death,

even death on a cross. He then says, you know, he called us, he justified us, and then it's like, what shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Well, why is he making statements like that? Because life is difficult. And he goes through the gospel here. He who didn't spare his own son, but gave him up for us all.

how will he not also give us all things well then he gets on down to the suffering that we go through in 35 when he says who shall separate us from the love of christ shall trouble hardship persecution famine neckiness danger sword as it is written for your sake we face death all day long to your point we are considered to be shoot to be slaughtered but then in that context it says no in all these things. I mean, what we went through the past week was just a little trouble. It was trouble. That's right. But we're more than conquerors through him who loved us, for I'm convinced that neither death, life, angels, demons, present, future, powers, height, depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that

is in Christ Jesus. And I think that's his whole point. The Hebrew writers is trying to lay that foundation to them, don't, if you lose Jesus, if you miss Jesus, if you forget Jesus, you set him aside however you want to phrase that, you'll lose it all. Yep. You're right. And really, the arc that we've looked at here in this Hebrew's context, starting back in chapter three, was, remember we talked about those four uses of the idea of rest, there was creation, then there was the promised land, which, was the establishment of the nation of Israel. Then there was the kingdom, which was remember Jesus said, enter my rest. But that fourth one, Jays, and you just mentioned it in Romans 8, the glorification

of our mortal bodies. So in the resurrection, this is why you have to sustain and hang in there. In the glorification of the resurrection, all things will be made new. Everything will be made right. Whatever you've suffered, whatever did. That's why you've got to get to the finish line. Because in the end, we're resurrected new. you may have physical strain for your whole entire life, but when you're a believer and you trust in God, he will deliver you and all things will be made perfect and right. So that's why you can't give up. And even if you make a mistake and someone else suffers, loses their life, you know, because this happens every single day. You know, I was thinking about a guy, a friend of mine,

such a great, strong Christian guy. But, you know, they used to do houses and they were jacking him up and work on him. He had a nephew, like a teenage nephew, that, you know, the house fell off the jack. And first, you know, he survived for a while, but eventually he died from this terrible thing. Well, he took the ownership of that whole thing. It was his company, his nephew worked for him, his sister's boy. And I just remember he was in such a dark, you know, place, feeling like it was his fault, you know, and now life was lost. But I remember it so clear when he finally saw the light that, you know what, I can't give up. I got my kids. I got my grandkids. I got my faith. But when he walked through that process for those weeks while we were

all praying that his nephew would survive and he didn't, I mean, I just remember thinking how much harder could it be for him? But ultimately, and now that's been 20 years ago, his faith went out. And he was able to get past it. What's interesting is, is we have a whole crowd of people misinformed going down the wrong path getting out and marching marching and chanting and bothering

the government officials and they're doing it because they want to kill more death they want to kill their own children and they want you to kill your own and you just say what kind of cause what kind of mind would get out and say we must

kill our children in the womb. I'm just... What I was going to say is what separates God, our father, and what he did in Jesus and the Holy Spirit from all other worldly issues and all other leaders and from the government and situations, I just, this hit me during my reflection moment. Is in chapter 6 and 10, it says,

God is not unjust. he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help him. So there's one side of it. He's not going to forget your love, your hard work, and you're helping people. But then later on we're going to get to chapter 8 and 12, and he quotes Jeremiah and says, God saying, I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Now, where else on the planet or in the universe could you,

go to a being who says, look, I'm going to remember the good stuff. Trust me. And I'm not unjust. I won't forget the bad stuff, which is what his plan was all about in Jesus. And I just thought, man, what a, what a savior. What a Lord. What a, what a father. Where else could you find that in life?

Nowhere. There's, there's nowhere. There's nothing that offers anything as good as that. Yeah. That's a good point. Well, we're out of time. We'll talk a little bit more about this in the overtime before we get back into our text in Hebrew.

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