You Are Not Forsaken

Tears and sorrows may blur your physical eyes, but God uses your pain to help you see Him more clearly. This is what happened to Radim Passer, a real estate developer in Prague, Czech Republic. On Friday, May 29, 1998, his wife, Jana, had their first baby, Little Max. At six weeks old, the baby had a neurosurgical operation.

Afterward, the attending pediatrician announced, “I am sorry to have to tell you this, but Little Max has an inoperable tumor in his head. Unfortunately, he has no chance of survival. It’s likely that he only has a few days left to live.” In despair, Jana and Radim prayed for healing, but on August 2, the doctor phoned with the sad news, “Mr. Passer, I am so sorry to tell you this, but at 3:45 A.M., Little Max passed away.” In sorrow, Radim told his wife the news and added, “I’m not going to pray anymore.” While they searched for answers to their sorrow, a friend lent them the five volumes of the Conflict of the Ages series by Ellen White. Radim and Jana took a vacation to the Austrian Alps and began reading the books. They also watched the worldwide satellite series NET ’98 —The Next Millennium, presented by Dwight Nelson. And on Friday, September 17, 1999, Radim and Jana, as well as Jana’s mother, were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Sometimes, pain is the only way God can reach us. William O. Cushing expressed this concept in his beautiful song, “Hiding in Thee.” Reflect on the first stanza and refrain: O safe to the Rock that is higher than I, My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly; So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine would I be; Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee. Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee, Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee. Remember, the Lord is with you, even when you are tempted, like Radim, not to pray anymore. You can trust that “the LORD is near to those who have a broken heart” (Psalm 34:18).