Today, my devotional talked about giving thanks in even extreme hardship because it draws us to our Lord (if you'll let it) and teaches us more about Him. It's got me thinking about how right that is.
It's an easy thing to say - to tell someone - to just give thanks because God's doing this for a reason. Many Christians throw statements like this out there without ever knowing or truly understanding the kind of trust it takes to actually be thankful when things are harder than you'd ever thought you'd face. While many "christian-ese" statements have truth to them, they often come from an empty place - without much thought or genuine concern for the person who's actually suffering. Many of us mean well, we're saying what we know is maybe the good thing to say but it stops at that surface level and we don't take much time to really try to understand what that struggling brother or sister is going through.
But even if we "feel" like we're alone in our struggles, it's clear that as long as we've surrendered our hearts to God, we are never alone. Isaiah 51:5 says "on my arm shall they trust." (This was the verse that Charles Spurgeon was writing about in today's devo.) He was explaining that when under severe trials, Christians find themselves with nothing on earth they can trust in - only God can bring comfort in those circumstances. We have a treasure because we have something or better yet, someone wonderful, faithful, holy, and just that we can TRUST with all our hearts. That's worth more than any passing comfort this earth holds.
Sure, we as Christians take comfort in friends, a family's love, our spouse, and even things like our pets or hobbies or ministries. But, when something happens that disrupts or shakes up your life so much so that all those things seem trivial, that's when we know that God must be who He says He is; that His promises must be true or all life's meaning is for nothing. If I didn't know and fully believe that my life and the exact circumstances I'm facing right now were part of God's plan - that it was, for whatever reason, what's best for me - I would feel lost and without purpose having to live a life of such isolation with little to contribute to others.
But, because of Christ and the sacrifice He made, I am able to consider myself one of God's (all because of His grace) and knowing that gives my life meaning because I know this is not my real home. All that happens here on earth will prove to be part of a much bigger plan, story, life than we can ever imagine or dream. Each action (good or bad), each thought (good or bad), is part of something much more than ourselves. It's these things that keep me going, that give me hope, purpose, and comfort while going through this trial. I can honestly say that this trial has taught me more about God than possibly any other circumstance in my life has and today, for maybe the first time since I got sick, I'm going to thank Him for this if for nothing else than that it's brought me closer to my Lord which is all that will ultimately matter in the end. It's not easy to be thankful because there's so much I'd like to be doing, shopping, going to church, visiting friends, etc. But, today, I can say that what I've learned through this process is something I wouldn't trade for anything and I only hope that as we continue in this, I will learn more and grow even closer to the Lord who gave up everything in order to save my life.
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