A Truth...

I have to admit that my faith in the Lord has gathered a lot of cobwebs over the last few months (actually, if I'm honest, since I graduated college in May of 2008). It is easy to put God in the passenger seat or on the back burner when life is going well. The harder truth is to find joy and happiness in the Lord when disaster strikes.

Thankfully, God does something miraculous to our hearts when life is at it's worst: He gives us the opportunity to rest completely in Him. And I have to say: these past few months have been really tough. Last April, I was diagnosed with another incurable disease that attacks my bladder. Clint's beloved Grandpa Bill passed away in October. My dear Grandma is undergoing a throat procedure that will leave her unable to talk for three weeks. And just this past Friday, Clint was laid off from work. My first reaction to these trials was to sinfully question God: Why me? Haven't I suffered enough? This isn't fair!!

Wrong reaction. Those questions reveal how spoiled I really am, and how prideful. In reality, we all deserve eternal damnation. The fact that I have life, and not only life, but dear husband, a wonderful family, and amazing friends, attests already to the overwhelming grace of God. But beyond that, these trials attest to His goodness. Why? Because God promises that the Christian life WILL be one of suffering. And that suffering is meant to 1) strengthen our resolve and faith in Christ and 2) trust in His mighty provision and wisdom. These valleys are a time to really see and reflect in His Sovereign Will--because nothing happens outside of His perfect plan. And most importantly we NEVER face anything alone when we have Christ.

For those reasons, I am truly thankful for the current spot God has placed me and Clint in. It has awakened and renewed my faith in Him, and I am actually joyful. I do not know how God is going to lead us through or out of our current valley, but that's just it: I don't need to know. God is completely in control and is giving us the opportunity to rest completely in Him. No, we may not know how we're going to pay the bills next month, but we do know that God will provide something. He always has.

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"“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” - C.S. Lewis