I don’t know about you my friend, but this has been one really tough week. In fact, as I sit typing these words, I find myself just plain exhausted from the weight of it all. Is there anything more difficult than watching people you love suffer and there isn’t much you can do to stop it? Or what about knowing someone you love needs help, but they won’t take the help being offered? Or watching the innocent suffer through things that are not their fault? Or hearing sad news that hurts your heart? Or watching the list of people desperately needing your prayers grow even longer by the day?
What do you do when you just feel helpless to change what needs changing? What do you do when you can’t rescue those that need rescuing? What do you do when the help you offer isn’t accepted? What do you do when words just aren’t enough? What do you do when you’re called ugly names because you dare to confront and speak truth? What do you do when the world seems to be going crazy all around you, when everywhere you look you see hurting and suffering? Where do you turn when it all gets to be a bit too much my friend?
May I share my secret with you? I have found the Answer! There is One that I turn to in the midst of all this and I find the peace that I need. I still cannot comprehend how it happens but all I know is this. I give Him my problems and He gives me His peace. I may be tired; I may be struggling, but I have found His peace. In the middle of this crazy, difficult, and oh so stressful week, He has given me His peace. When I don’t know what to do, I look to the One who does, and I find the peace I need. I don’t know all the answers, but He does, and that is enough for me.
I don’t know all the answers, and to be honest, I wish that I did. I wish I knew what to do to make things better, but I can’t. However, when I don’t know what to do, I give it to Him, and I choose to trust Him to work it all out. Life is tough, but thankfully, my God is tougher. I am learning that I don’t have to have all the answers; I simply trust in the One who does. This week has been hard. At times, the weight has nearly been unbearable, but thankfully, I do not bear the load alone. There is One who walks beside me, helping me carry everything that comes my way.
When my heart hurts, when concerns and disappoints weigh heavy on my heart and mind; He is there. He shares His hope when mine runs a little low. He reminds me that He is always there at my side, my constant and faithful Companion. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” Isaiah 41:10. Is there anything more comforting than knowing that He is always there? Just knowing I am not alone in the fight gives me strength to keep on fighting.
I’ll be honest my friend, sometimes these situations seem hopeless as I look at them and wonder if things will ever change. Sometimes, the answer seems so far away. There are some days that I must lean on Him even harder because my strength fails me. The battle rages and I grow weary. Still, I find that I cannot give up. There is still that persistent spark of hope within me that refuses to give up. How could I?! I serve a really big God with whom nothing is impossible. How could I, even in my darkest moment, dare to limit Him? Who knows what He plans to do with what looks impossible to me?
I read a devotional by Sheri Strange this past week and she said something that really spoke to my heart. “I can’t promise you won’t get across unscathed. Jesus didn’t. But, oh, there will be joy.” Life gets tough sometimes, and the fires can burn at an intensity I do not like, but I will never be asked to suffer more than my beloved Savior suffered for my sake. “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand at the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.
“For the joy set before Him” is such a beautiful reminder that there is beauty on the other side of suffering. I don’t like to suffer, but I have noticed something my friend. No one gets through this world with going through it at some point or another. Suffering is a part of life that we all have to deal with at some point in our lives. We cannot change the truth of this but there is a choice we do have. In fact, it is an especially important one, my friend. We get to choose how we respond to it; we get to choose our attitude in the midst of the suffering.
We cannot stop suffering from coming, but we can choose how we respond to it. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” Phil. 2:5-8. We are challenged to have the mind of Christ when facing suffering; we are challenged to respond the way He responds.
I must confess; I do not always respond with the same attitude as Jesus. I need to; I want to, but I don’t always do so well at it. “Obedient to the point of death” is the life I too, am called to aspire to. In my flesh, I cannot do this, but with His help I can do all things (Phil. 4:13). The truth is that these challenges that I face were not sent to destroy me but to refine me. These fires came not to burn me but to burn away the parts of me that needed to be removed. Somehow, some way, He is working all this for good. Though I may not see it yet, He is at work in the midst of this.
When I cannot see the way, I must walk in obedience to Him, trusting Him to be my Guide. Minute by minute, I walk clinging to His hand, trusting Him to bring me out of the fires a little better than before I went into the flames. I don’t know how all these difficulties will end but I do know that it will all work out in the end. Someday, when this life has ended, I’ll look into the eyes of the most beautiful Face I have ever seen, and it will all have been worth it. Every. Single. Moment. Will. Be. Worth. It. When I look into His face, every care will fade and at long last, I will be home.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you. Isaiah 43:2
Katrina Douglas
