from trials to triumphs

"A person who has been divorced may never hold this position."

The statement hit me like a punch to the gut.

I didn't disagree with the policy and understood the rationale. But still.

"It's proof that you're a person of faithfulness." The woman in front of me whispered to her neighbor, entirely unaware I could hear her. Even more so that her declaration magnified the pain throbbing in my heart.

I didn't say anything. No one did because it wasn’t up for discussion. This was simply an informational session, and oddly enough this wasn't a position I had been offered. It wasn’t even up for grabs, much less something I’d seriously considered.

Now I knew.

I would always and forever be unqualified. Not because I couldn't do it or because God hadn't equipped me with the skills, passion, abilities, and required talents. But because I had survived an unwanted divorce.

Blacklisted forever.

Life has a way of thrusting us into situations far outside of our control. Sometimes forcing us to kneel at the mercy of another's decisions, regardless of how terrible and painful it may be, and then requiring us to scrape ourselves back together under the crushing weight of the outcome. It's the unfortunate reality of residing on the outskirts of Eden. The bittersweet gift of free will.

But here’s the thing: God isn’t bound to our policies or negative outcomes.

Listen, we are all unqualified to serve a Holy God. We all fall short. Our sin rages in abundance, and no one – no one – is immune from trials and tribulations. They will come, one way or another.

And people will talk. You bet they will. There will be opinions and assumptions and beliefs. Shouts of the many trying to crowd out truth.

But in his letter to Timothy, Paul writes, “Here is a trustworthy saying: if we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will disown us. If we are faithless, he will remain faithful for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

God has given us an option, friends. When those moments of testing come, we have the choice to remain faithful. I can testify that even in the midst of a divorce, one can (and absolutely should) remain faithful. But should we fail or forget or wander off the path, God never changes. And that’s what this all hinges on anyway, right?

God’s never-ending faithfulness.

Just as He is faithful to lead us through the valleys of life, He is also faithful to use our biggest trials to usher in beautiful triumphs because God works all things out for the good of those who love him. And so no matter how or where we are being used by God, it's a privilege to be used. And the beauty of seeking His kingdom's work is that He always has something significant for each of us to do.

Even the unqualified.