Take a saint, and put him into any condition, and he knows how to rejoice in the Lord. –Walter Cradock

Today is the funeral of Kevin Thomson. I never met Kevin face to face, but my life has been greatly impacted by him. One of my most treasured friends is in my life, in large measure, because of Kevin. Without Kevin’s boldness in asking a talented but virtually unknown college student to sing in his band, I would most likely not know Bryan Duncan today.

Kevin was the founder of the ground breaking Sweet Comfort Band. He was the bass player, and up until about four years ago, was as strong as a bull.

Four years ago, Kevin became a quadriplegic. With little warning, his reliance on his own strength was stripped away. In the blink of an eye.

What happened? An auto accident? No. A diving accident? No. What was it?

He just…collapsed. He was on a vacation with his wife, and as he was about to put their suitcases in the car one morning he put the key in the trunk lock and then just…collapsed. He never moved again under his own power.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I would be having some really big questions for God if this happened to me. Like “WHY???” “Doesn’t the fact that I played bass for You in front of millions mean anything?” “How about all those people I preached to, telling of Your love? Doesn’t that count for something?” “Why don’t you heal me?”

But in a conversation I had with Kevin’s brother, Rick Thomson, he didn’t do that. He took the loss of the use of his arms and legs in stride. He didn’t have anger, resentment, feelings of self-pity…none of that. As a matter of fact, the doctors thought there must be something wrong with him. They kept waiting for the shoe to drop. They figured he would go through the stages of grief that is expected and normal for “victims” of such loss.

It never happened. In the four years from this loss, to his passing on May 30, 2010, the shoe never did drop.

Why?

Because his faith was not in his own strength. His faith…his trust…was in Jesus. He knew that his life was not his, but God’s, and whatever God intended to do with or through or for or to him, He had the right. And Kevin was fine with that. Completely at peace with that.

I’m not sure I have that level of faith. I hope that if God were to test me with something this big my response would measure up, but wow, I just don’t know.

What about you?