Tonight Stacy and I have been reflecting a lot on the last 6 months, as well as on life and death. My grandfather is not doing well and will probably not make it through the night. This coupled with Greyson’s situation has given us a lot of time to think, talk, and reflect on things. Tonight we were talking about how difficult it can be to offer words of encouragment to people who are facing lifes challenges. We are thankful to all of you who work so hard to encourage us. So where is God when there is pain, suffering, and death? It is funny how we often try so hard to minimize the situation, or to offer up a reason for what people are experiencing. If we’ve learned anything from these last few months it is that there often is no explanation, or a way to minimize the pain, anxiety, or struggle.
While that sounds depressing, the fact remains that there is a lot of truth to it. Now having said that, we also have to say that there is more to the story than that. For whatever reason God doesn’t always provide easy answers. He doesn’t always make the situation better. Yet if you trust him, really trust him, he will always be there. As you cry out to him with your questions, pain, anger, he will begin to speak to you about his profound love for you. I’m often suprised that in these conversations he does not always (or even often?) provide any answers. He simply lets you know that he is there, that he loves you, and that he is hurting right along with you.
It is true that he is powerful enough to work an instant miracle and dramatically change any situation. Part of trusting him is knowing that he has a reason for not doing so in every situation. He is God and I am not. So we can cry out to him, and accept that whatever the outcome, he is still a loving God who is worthy of our trust. Our prayer tonight is that everyone who reads this can experience the awesome wonder of knowing this kind of love. It gives you untold strength when you have none left, gives you hope when the world looks dark, and even makes you laugh in the midst of it all.
Sorry to get long winded, but hey, I am a pastor! 🙂
Wow! What a message you just posted! I don’t attend your church, but God has definitely given you a gift for words. It is always reassuring to know how big and true God’s love is. It is deeper than anything we can imagine and He is always there—no matter what. Thank you for that reminder. I will continue to pray for all of you and your grandfather. Get your rest. Dawn
Wonderfully said, because no matter how much you want to make it better, there really isn’t anything you can do but love the people that are hurting and trust them with God. He does give us peace and strength even in those awful hurting moments and we can go forward. I must say I missed seeing Greyson tonight though. Your grandpa always gave love and a smile even through the last days of alzheimer’s and when he meets your dad in heaven, you know there will be alot laughing and fun there. The peace for us is that even though we miss them, we know without a shadow of a doubt that they loved the Lord and are in the most wonderful place – heaven.
Thanks Bob! Very well put. With all the love that “we” have to offer to each other it is really nothing compared to the love that God has for us! That in itself is encouraging. 🙂 Thanks for the update on Greyson. We will CKP! My new acronym……. Continually Keep Praying!
Love You,
Tam
Hey guys. So sorry to hear about your grandfather, Bob. I loved your reflections. I feel like no one ever knows the right thing to say, and the right thing could be completely different for every person. You two continue to amaze me with your grace and patience. Thank you for sharing. I’ll have to come listen to a sermon some day! Keep hanging in there.
-corinne
WOW! All that money at NNU has paid off! Haha! When we were sitting in Papa’s room last night, I kept thinking about God’s love and how important it is for families to love each other while we are here on earth. Sometimes it is easier to offer a word of encouragement or try to make light of the situation , than to really just love someone and sit, wait and love them while they are going through tragedy. It is reassuring to know that God is always there and even knows the “rest of the story”. We do love you and you are never far from our thoughts and prayers!!
Hello Stacy and Bob. Sorry to hear about your grandfathers condition now. Your reflections really ministered so much to me this morning. Thank you for the sermon on Sunday. I wanted to be there to worship, but also to hear about how you and Stacy and Greyson were doing. You both are growing deeper in your love and faith in God through this tough time in your life. I can say that I do understand coming from the standpoint of losing my dearly beloved husband. I know where he is and that in and of itself is a comfort and blessing. May God be especially close to you now.
Love You,
Elaine
Thank you,
I believe God is working all sorts of miricles through everything that is happening. I believe He has both Greyson and your Grandfather in his hands. The hardest part for us here on earth is to accept and trust in the Lord because we just want what we want. Especially when it comes to our loved ones.
With this Blog, you touch people who may have never heard or seen the powerful trust you have in God and His plan. I am a believer, and I do have a good relationship with the Lord, but I will humbly say, I tend to freak when things don’t go the way I feel they should. It takes me time to come back to “hey, I am not in control, He is”. You both continually show all your readers the power of being faithful. You are right, it doesn’t mean things will go the way we want them, but God is faithful and He does love us. Thank you so much for your messages. I believe you are all touching hearts who may have never experienced the power of God’s unconditional love for us. We will continue to keep you all in our prayers.