Trials. Hard times. A rough patch. Call them what you will, we all go through them. It seems to me that the longer I live, the longer those seasons last and the shorter the time between them. Rarely do I wake up one morning to find that all is right with my world. The troubles of the past few months gone with the fluttering of my opening eyes. They typically peter out and they often peter in. Sometimes the end of one rough patch is blurred with the beginning of another, and I'm not quite sure if the first one ever actually ended or just took a breather.
We had a guest speaker at our church this past Sunday. He's not really a guest though. He and his wife are from England, but they were a part of our church for five years. He's more like visiting family - family that you want to see and always wish they could stay longer. They're wonderful people, he and his wife. Hearts of gold. Humble. Wise. Fun. We spent the evening with them last night and the time flew by.
His message on Sunday was about going through difficulties. Everything he said was good. Encouraging. But one thing in particular has stuck with me. When life gets tough, he said, we tend to ask questions. It's important that we ask the right one; and the right one isn't "Why is this happening to me?" or even "What am I learning through this?" The important question is "How - how can I get through this with Jesus?"
Gulp.
I'm sorry to say that question has never even skittered across my brain much less strolled or meandered, and it has definitely never knocked on the door and stayed for a visit.
Thanks, Rodney. Now that I've got the right question, maybe I'll be able to hear the answer.
We had a guest speaker at our church this past Sunday. He's not really a guest though. He and his wife are from England, but they were a part of our church for five years. He's more like visiting family - family that you want to see and always wish they could stay longer. They're wonderful people, he and his wife. Hearts of gold. Humble. Wise. Fun. We spent the evening with them last night and the time flew by.
His message on Sunday was about going through difficulties. Everything he said was good. Encouraging. But one thing in particular has stuck with me. When life gets tough, he said, we tend to ask questions. It's important that we ask the right one; and the right one isn't "Why is this happening to me?" or even "What am I learning through this?" The important question is "How - how can I get through this with Jesus?"
Gulp.
I'm sorry to say that question has never even skittered across my brain much less strolled or meandered, and it has definitely never knocked on the door and stayed for a visit.
Thanks, Rodney. Now that I've got the right question, maybe I'll be able to hear the answer.
Commenting for two reasons...1)I like this post and what Rodney said about getting through it with Jesus. Thanks for posting it. It was something I needed to hear...2) Just letting you know that I'm reading your posts. Keep writing. It's good.
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