Glorifying God in All Things
- Ethan Hilmo
- Mar 31
- 5 min read
God uses many means to glorify Himself and His will. It is easy to say from a theological and secular perspective that God taking life to glorify Himself is cruel. However, from a religious perspective, many Christians will say it is a wonderful thing and will happily praise God in all. Both sides have strong arguments. However, I find it is not so black and white.
In the book of Job, God uses his most loyal servant, Job, to demonstrate to Satan that Job would be faithful to God no matter what God took from him. In the death of all his children, Job praised God. In the loss of all his wealth, Job praised God. In the loss of his health, Job praised God.
In the Gospels, Jesus is crucified as the atonement for our sins. Jesus asked God for another way to pay for humanity's sins. But, God made it clear that the only way for man to be redeemed is for the innocent blood of the lamb to be shed. Thus, glorifying God.
It is easy to say that we joyfully praise God in all things. But truthfully, I don't always have a smile on my face. I truly believe that God has a great purpose. I know how it all ends, and in the end, God wins. I know that God is in total control. I have faith that God loves me and my wife. I know He sometimes uses very difficult trials to provoke growth.
All of this comes from a place of great pain. I have never owned an animal before. But, on the day of my and Anna's engagement, we adopted two cats. One named Anastasia, and another named Milton.
Initially, I was ok with adopting Milton for the sake of making Anna happy. But, I found that Milton was a cat unlike any other I have ever met. He would run to the door to greet me whenever I got home. He would always try to climb up me and lay on my shoulder. He would follow me everywhere. He was like a dog trapped in a cat's body. He smelled cause he would use his paws to scoop his food into his mouth. But, I loved him nonetheless.
But, last Wednesday, March 26th, 2025, he passed away. I came home from work and, for the first time, he did not greet me at the door. I found him lying down, and he was alive but very weak. Me and my wife got him to a Vet ER. It all happened so fast and suddenly. He was immediately surrounded by four vets, all doing what they could. I don't know if I have ever had tears forcing themselves out of my eyes the way they were that day. The head doctor asked me if I wanted them to perform CPR if he needed it. I thought it was a rhetorical question. So, I answered "YES". They did a lot of things that felt like a blur. But, the doctor came back and recommended euthanasia.
I was appalled.
She went on to say the whole thing about how it's the "humane thing to do". I understand now that it most definitely was. But, in that moment, I was fuming. Anna, being the sweetheart that she is, told me that we should do it. So, I very sadly gave the doctor a nod. She explained the whole process, performed it, and Milton passed shortly after.
Milton was an innocent cat. He never scratched me. He never scratched Anna. He never hurt either of the other cats. He never hurt a guest. He was just a hungry, stinky little cat who wanted to sleep in bed with us. He just wanted to be warm. I miss him so much.
I sincerely wish to glorify God in all things. God is worthy of praise in all things. This is easier said than done. I find many reasons to praise God in Milton's passing. He was in great pain here. So, now Milton is not in pain. Milton's passing has provoked thought I believe is very valuable. It has enabled me to praise God in a time of great difficulty. If it's hard to praise God now, I can't imagine the difficulty that Job has submitting himself to the Lord.
This is not to say that I feel inclined to turn away from God because my cat died. It is me saying that it is hard for me to see God's goodness in it. It is very hard to not succumb to the temptation of despair. I did not know what I had until he was taken from me. It is so important to keep a strong faith and remember God is not all sunshine and lollipops. God is not some genie you call on at convenience to grant your carnal desires. God is our father in Heaven. God is the creator of all things, using us to fulfill His purposes. If Milton's life contributed even a drop into the ocean of God's plan, then praise Him!
I'm just a man. I am no religious man, I am a follower of Christ. I strive to be good to others, but I am no good man. I strive to glorify God in all things. I consider Him when tending my marriage, when I am conducting myself at work, at concerts, and more recently, writing my music.
Milton's life mattered to God, just as all creatures' lives matter to Him. I know He loved Milton because God delivered Milton to me and Anna, letting us care for him and love him until he died. We had many good memories with Milton. I am grieving for Milton. I have never lost an animal before, I did not know it would hurt this bad. I know God is good in all things. A friend of mine told me that sometimes our flesh tries to convince us that God is against us. But, that is most definitely not the case. The Holy Spirit is with us, and is our great comforter through these hard times. He has been faithful to me and Anna in our time of mourning.
All of this to say, praise the Lord. God has been so good to us. I am thankful for the time we had with Milton. I am thankful for what Milton has taught me, and for the love he gave me. And, for helping me be authentic with God.
As a Christian, I am not always happy. But, I am always assured that God has me. In all things, God has been faithful. Things do not always go my way, and that is a very good thing. Milton was in pain, and now he gets to rest. I am happy that me and Anna had Milton for the time that we did. We love him and miss him dearly.
Thank you so much for reading this. If you would, please pray for me and my wife in this time of mourning.
Proverbs 12:10
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