June 22, 1971 Michael Wayne Rockett fell from a tree in which he had climbed to see a bird nest. In the fall, his feet were caught in the limbs turning him upside down. Thus he landed with arm outstretched to break his fall but instead broke his arm and he landed on his skull. Six hours later, he died. Many times I have been asked how I can take such a loss, and why did not God protect your son. The answer to the first question of how I can take it, I gave my son to God and when I did, he took him home to be with Himself. Before I answer the second question let me explain the first.
You see I sat there by my son's side, much as God had been by Jesus's side while he suffered on the cross. I watched and heard as Michael's breathing got more and more labored. This went on for five hours and some. You can imagine what was going through my mind, my heart. I was praying like crazy for God to save my son. He was answering that prayer, He was keeping my son alive, I know for the next part of the explanation of how I can live with my son's loss explains what was happening. I sat there praying-God answering-then I realized how truly damaged my son's brain must be, but you see I wanted him as he was, not as a vegetable. When I realized the damage, and knew in my heart that I would never have Michael again, not as he was, I changed my prayer. I prayed, "God, this is my son, you do what is best for him." After sitting there for four hours and fifty five minutes, I stood up and walked outside to a waiting family. My emotions could hold no more of my son's suffering. Much like Jesus asking His father why he had forsaken him. I feel I understand why God had to turn away, so He could no longer see the torment His son was suffering. I could not either. In five minutes, God took Michael home with Himself, that was the best thing for Michael.
To answer the second question may not be so simple. I have to confess times of doubt in my answer that is forthcoming, but I always return to this explanation for it fits the scripture as I understand it. God spoke and the world came into existence from nothing but His word. Everything God created performs as He designed. You and I are not nearly bright enough to understand even the simplest cell and how remarkably it performs its assigned task. So we revert to a much broader definitive idea of the "Laws of Nature". Okay, that explains everything. Well, not quiet. You see we humans who believe there is a God, a benevolent God, expect Him to snatch our loved one out of harms way, or to prevent events we ourselves initiated, or occurrences we control or let get out of control. Let me explain the difference.
The so called "Laws of Nature" are simply this, cause and effect, like plant an acorn and get an oak sapling. Plant corn kernels you get the leaf blade of a corn stalk, and allowed to grow, a corn ear. If we cut ourselves, which we do, we bleed red blood. If we fall it often hurts. If a miner is working underground and the ground shifts and covers him, he is likely to die. These are simple samples of the laws that nature operates upon. If your parents have eyes of blue, you will have blue eyes. If you try to cross the pollen of a butterbean with the egg of squash, you will not get anything, not compatible. So genetics play an important role in how life starts from fertility, into an adult of that species. How does it do it, we really do not know, but one thing we do know, it always works the same way.
Well, that last statement is not entirely true. Some times minor changes occur, for many, many different reasons and what we expect is not what we get. It is called a mutant or a sport, depending the cause. However, generally speaking, plant an apple seed you will get an apple sapling, never anything but, howbeit may be a mutant of an apple sapling or sport. Still an apple. So when my son fell from a tree limb twenty feet in the air, landed on his head, the law of nature went into motion and allowed the physic's of the moment to take place-a crushed skull, causing severe damage to the human brain. If you stand in front of a moving train, the train hits you, then most likely you will be harmed. Okay, I know you understand that. Where does God come into this scenario?
