Good morning…
After yesterday’s post about my friend Jennifer and her daughter’s cancer battle, a subscriber wrote: “I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes after reading about your friend’s sweet child and this email that I read next was just what I needed. I wanted to share it with you and let you know that I will also be praying for Audrey.”
She shared with me the Girlfriends in God post from 4.13.17 entitled “God Shows Up In Crisis.” Here are some of the words I also found most comforting.
******
“Let me share with you what I have learned about dealing with pain and crisis. Character rises to the top over time and under pressure. From that truth comes my prescription for how we get through…how we respond to the damage we experience in this world.
We hurt. We are deeply injured. Pain is always about proximity. We must allow our emotions to flow. We must allow the emotions of others to flow. We must realize that emotions come in a different order and on a different schedule. Some will grieve first. Others will be angry. Some will be in denial. Some will be vocal. Some will withdraw. But we all hurt. Jesus wept. He knows about hurt and hurts with us.
We guard. …Philippians 4:6-7 talks about “guarding your hearts and minds.” That is an important word for us when we face a crisis. Guard your heart from despair. I know your heart is broken. People you love and trust have betrayed you. Your God is still with you. He will never leave you or betray you. The enemy will whisper to you that you are going down. That may be his goal, but it is not God’s plan. Guard your heart from retreat. We are tempted to use pain and hurt as an excuse to abandon the plan to which God has called us. It is so much easier to simply give up. I know. There have been times when I have literally and figuratively pulled the covers over my head and told God to just go away. It didn’t work. He loves me too much, and He loves you too much to let you give up.”
******
Jesus faced the crisis of his lifetime as he hung on the cross. He certainly hurt. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” “I am thirsty.” Jesus also guarded. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
When we face tragedy, we face a choice. Will we experience today’s pain with God or try to manage on our own dwindling strength? As we bear the burden of our own cross today, will we allow our hurting emotions to flow as we surrender our spirit to God’s loving care? As we face today’s crisis, will we beg God to guard our hearts from sinking into despair, guard our hearts from closing down and giving up?
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, NIV).
..Sue…
