At the end of choir practice last night, we spent some time sharing prayer requests. My heart was heavy, hearing some of the challenges and trials people are going through.
I’m a pretty upbeat person, most days. Humor has helped me navigate many of the ups and downs of life, and I try to see life through that lens when I can.
But some things are just serious.
And hard.
Because, do you know what’s not funny? Cancer. Abuse. The death of a spouse or a child (or a mom or a dad or a friend)...loss of a job, chronic illness, being a caregiver, a wayward child, watching someone suffer, drug abuse, mental illness, and so much more.
Christians are not immune from trials, but how is it different for us? Or how should it be different for us? How do we reconcile suffering...with the goodness of God?
JESUS, that’s how.
He doesn’t always change our circumstances, but, if we let Him, He will change our hearts, give us a new perspective, and give us the strength we need to meet each day.
When my Dad was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s, several years ago, he told me, “God has been good to me for my whole life, and I don’t believe He will stop now. But I will praise Him in the hard times, as well as in the good times, because He has blessed me far more than I deserve.”
Oh, to have an attitude like that!
The song we are singing in church this Sunday is called “City of Joy.”
Listening to friends share the deep needs of their families and friends, I was thinking how perfect it was that we had just sung these words:
“Oh I’ve heard about a day,when that trumpet sounds: the sky will crack wide open, and our feet come off the ground. And I’ve heard that we will see Him, as all the saints bow down. We are bound for, we are bound for the City of Joy! Oh what a day that is gonna be, when our Savior we shall see....and the curse of sin and suffering is finally destroyed. We are bound for the City of Joy!”
"For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come." Hebrews 13:14
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