Do You Trust Me?
Today’s Truth
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6, 7
Friend to Friend
My son and I sat on the floor in his room playing Rummy. We had just a few minutes before rushing off to register for his summer swim class and wanted to get in one more round of play. This summer was proving to be the best ever. Our golden retriever, Ginger, had just delivered seven adorable puppies, Steven was enjoying his sixth summer of life, and after four years of the heartache of negative pregnancy tests, God had surprised us with a new life growing inside my womb.
But as Steven and I sat on the floor, I felt a warm sticky sensation run down my leg. A trip to the bathroom confirmed my greatest fear. Later that afternoon, our baby died, and is now waiting for us in heaven.
What began as a summer full of life and joy, quickly turned into a season of great loss and sadness. I mourned for that child for which I had prayed and felt the ache of empty arms. Someone once said, “I never knew I could miss someone that I had never met.” But, oh, how I missed her. We never knew for sure, but in my heart, I felt that the baby had been a little girl.
During those summer months, I went through the grieving process step-by-step. I’ll admit that I was angry at God for “taunting” me with this gift of a child and then taking her away. But through the months and years that followed, God taught me many lessons about myself, about Him, and about trusting in His unfailing love.
I believe that when we go through a trial which wounds us deeply, God can use it to teach us valuable lessons. Some of those lessons are a deeper understanding of who God is, of who we are, and of what we truly believe. Our faith grows in the Petri dish of struggles in the laboratory of life. One of my most valuable lessons, through all my wounds and scars, was a decision to stop saying “why me” and to begin saying “what now.” But the lesson that continues reverberating like a gentle thunder is the truth of God’s unfailing love.
During the months that followed the loss of our child, I struggled with God. Just as Jacob wrestled with God through his dark night of the soul, I wrestled as well.
How could He love me and allow this to happen? Why would God withhold my dream? Is He able? Is He kind? Is He really there?
It was a dry summer…in my heart and soul. No one could help me, comfort me, or lift me out of my despair. And while I didn’t want to talk to God, He never left my side. Patiently, He waited for me to cry out to Him… to say, I will trust you even though I do not understand.
No matter what you are going through today, you can believe this my friend. God’s love never fails and He will always be by your side. You can trust Him.
Let’s Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, sometimes I do not understand why bad things happen, but like a child who loves her daddy, I trust You. Help me to move past the pain and find the purpose. Even when I cannot see the road ahead, help me simply to take the next step, trusting You in the dark. Thank You for giving me just enough light for the step I’m on.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Now It’s Your Turn
If you are a mother, can you think of a time when you had to say “no” to your child even though he/she did not understand the reason why?
Did you say “no” because you knew what was best?
Now, can you picture your heavenly Father in the same way?
If you are not a mother, can you think of a time when your earthly parent told you “no” and you did not understand?
Later, did you see the wisdom of that response?
More from the Girlfriends
God never wants us to waste our sorrows. He can turn every difficult situation into a ministry opportunity. Our scars are beautiful to God. To learn more about the amazing beauty forged through the difficulties of life, see Your Scars are Beautiful to God by Sharon Jaynes
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