May 27

OT 2 Samuel 12:1-31
"Is the child dead?", he asked.
"Yes."

Haunting words. Especially this weekend when so many are celebrating graduations, school endings, pool parties and Memorial Day.
And then there is the finalization of the story of the little boy who was taken in NY so very many years ago.

The death of a child is the hardest strain on a marriage according to most marriage counselors. It tops infidelity by a long, long run and handily beat money issues which come in at #3.

My relationship with my dad's mother was complicated. She thought and said to me on more than one occasion that I was a 'heathen'. Okay, I am to some degree. She had issues and I was not understanding and compassionate. I do not EVER remember her calling me. For ANY reason.
But when I had a miscarriage, she called and cried with me on the telephone.
Years later, I have decided that she, too, must have lost a baby. Only someone who has walked that path would have acted that way, especially given the uneasy relationship she and I had.

One of the goals of Scripture is to illuminate our relationship with God. We have good and bad stories, testimonials, cautionary tales.
No matter how we feel about the adultery side of David and Bathsheba's relationship, what we have here is a model for how to handle the death of a child.
"Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon."

Several observations about those two sentences.
1. David had pulled himself together but he didn't pull APART from Bathsheba.
2. They continued to be with one another physically. How easy it would have been for mighty David to have ditched Bathsheba for the next pretty young thing with no leftover pregnancy pooch, no crying jags. He did not put her aside.
3. 'they' named him Solomon. The two of them stayed in close relationship. They must have been talking and sharing during her pregnancy. Not alone. Together.

All of this must have been a terrible strain on someone who was also trying to fight his own demons and rule a country. What an incredible, complicated, awesome man David was.
And this, I think, is why we also have the hamstrung horses in close proximity. David was a MAN. Not a god. He did good and bad and really awful things. He was incredibly talented and incredibly selfish, but also a favored one of God. But he was a MAN.

Much peace and serenity to you on this Sunday.