Looking Back On Hard Times 

          As these difficult and uncertain days continue to unfold, I wonder if you have ever engaged in the practice of remembering past difficult times to help you through the current ones.  For me, one of those hard times began on Monday, June 5th 2006.  That was the day that our fourth child, Joey, was born. To be honest with you, the day was actually a little bit anticlimactic. This was our fourth child and we were getting the hang of this by now.  However, on the following Wednesday afternoon a pediatric oncologist walked into our room to tell us the news that Joey had cancer. Of course we knew something was wrong as testing had been happening since his birth, but hearing those words felt like a punch in the gut.  Alayna and I listen intently as the doctor walked us through the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.  As the doctor spoke, I had a deep sense that God was present and with us in a deep way in that place.  When the doctor finished talking to us she said, “You both sure do seem to be taking this news well. How is that?” I muttered to her a couple of things and then said, “We have a tremendous support system, and we have a God that is with us no matter what.  We are going to get through this.  The doctor whom we found out later was not a follower of Jesus replied to me, “Well that may be fine and well but within a couple of weeks you two will be gouging each other’s eyes out!  This is going to be hard!”  I was stunned by her response to my statement of faith, but by golly we became determined to walk through this difficult and scary time trusting in the goodness of God, depending on our support system for help, and trusting in our marriage.  The next 18 months WERE hard.  We worried and cried many tears through Joey’s surgery, scans, blood test and weird results, but we came far away from gouging each other’s eyes out. I love Alayna’s eyes is eyes I like mine too. I am so glad that our faith in our support system, our marriage, and in the good presence of God led us through that difficult time all eyes intact.
           You see, God is attracted to suffering like a magnet to metal.  Where those things are, God is.  God sees our affliction, suffering and our trouble and God comes down to deliver us and bring us to a new place of living, thriving, serving, and loving.  Just like God saw and came to the suffering Israelites when they were suffering slaves, God is present and with us in these deeply challenging days.  God will restore us and renew us in spite of these hard days.  Please rest in God’s goodness and Trust in the LORD with all your heart. 

Grace and Peace, 

Pastor Steve

Questions:

1. Is there a hard, difficult thing you have experienced in the past that God helped you to navigate through to a good resolution?
2. How can that memory be an encouragement for these days?
3. Give thanks to God for His guidance, healing, and presence in the past and the present.

Prayer:

       
Gracious and loving God, You are our refuge and strength and very present help IN trouble (Psalm 46).  God, our world is in now IN trouble.  Reveal your presence to us as we seek to be still and deeply trust your goodness.  Then, give us the courage to believe and do the next good thing that you would have us to do.  In Jesus name we pray.  AMEN!