Reason #528
Tears burned in my eyes as I sat at work this morning. I fought to keep them in, and I wished I could have stayed home. I didn’t really want to get out of bed today, anyway. Do you ever have those mornings? Morning where you wake up and your heart is so heavy that your whole body feels weighted down? It was one of those mornings for me. A day where I didn’t even wash my hair because I had much more on my mind than how I looked. I slipped on a black dress, slightly appropriate for a day with sad undertones, and I forced a smile as customers walked by hoping I was able to pull of my attempt at being cheerful.
Have you ever been to a point in your life where you were desperate? You wanted something so bad you could hardly stand it. And so you prayed and you prayed and you pleaded that God grant your request. After all, it was a good thing you were asking for. And you had good intentions. If only the Lord would allow this, you’d give it your all. You’d be the best you could be. You’d honor Him with it and through it. And He would receive such glory through this miracle. And you believed Him, too. You had full faith that God could do this. He had brought you this far, after all. And, for some reason, it fell apart. For some reason, it didn’t work out. You did what you could, you tried, you hoped and you trusted. But your dreams were crushed and your heart was broken. And when you looked around, you wondered why this happened to you. You desired this your whole life. You wanted this with your whole being. Yet everyone else is getting what you wanted, what you almost had, and it really, really hurts.
I’ve learned that God doesn’t asks us to be brave and tough and tearless. God doesn’t ask us to understand His ways. God asks us to trust Him. To exercise faith no matter how hard it may be. To lean on Him no matter how hurt, angry, disappointed, or confused we are. And I’ve really had to do this a whole lot lately. Because although life is sweet and the blessings are plentiful, we live in a broken world and are broken people. And although we are children of God, we are still have to deal with heartaches and disappointments, too.
A few weeks ago, I was standing my in kitchen talking with my grandmother. We talked about how much it hurts to see someone you love hurting. Whether it be physical or emotional, it’s so tough. And if I could, I would bottle it up and take it from them because I can deal with my own broken heart a whole lot easier than watching someone else’s break. But I think that’s one of the biggest ways God shows His love for us. A way He allows us to understand it. Because if I could keep everyone I love from hurting, from ever feeling pain, from disappointment and fear and discouragement, I’d do it. Yet this is what God has done for us. So although we hurt, we hurt with hope. And although we cry, we cry tears of faith. And although we feel broken and defeated, we remember we serve a God who has overcome all of those things and set us free. A God who came to heal the broken hearted and bind up crushed spirits.
And so it takes time, friends. Scripture says that the sorrow lasts for the night but joy comes in the morning, and some of us just have to experience night a little longer than we’d like. But what peace to know that morning will come. For God’s plan is perfect, and God always does what’s best for His creation because He sees it all from beginning to end. He loves us and knows our hearts. And although we don’t understand, although it seems incredibly unfair, God is bigger than all our doubts and worries. So the one thing we can always do is praise Him. Praise Him for working all things together for our good somehow, some way. For letting no situation go wasted. For using us to be examples of His glory in the good and in the bad. And for being a God who will redeem any situation that is laid at His feet.
#528 - For a God who works doesn't limit His miracles or how they pan out.
"But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands." - Psalm 31:14-15
"O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge." - Psalm 62:8