“I am going to trust God,” the elderly woman in her bright yellow large church hat said loudly to her friend on the outside of the church. “He has always been with me, so why should I start doubting him now,” the elderly woman shouted as she walked swiftly to her old, worn van. Her 5 energetic grandchildren jumped in one at a time. The elderly woman’s son who was raising his five children alone was tragically killed in car accident. The woman who was well into her 70’s was now mother and grandmother to five children under the age of 12 years old. Even though she said she was going to trust God, this situation must have been challenging for her. Preparing to raise five children, and losing her only son, I am sure shook her faith, and may have even caused her to waver at times. Yet at the end of the day, she decided no matter how hard, no matter the struggles she was going to trust God in spite of what she was presently facing.
Life does not come without struggles, valley experiences, and periods of searching for answers to what seems like problems that are never-ending. You too may have faced the loss of a loved one, weariness on the journey of life, setbacks, and even persecution. Is it a time to give up? Is it a time to say this is simply too hard, I desire to go hide from it all? You may want to scream yes to the top of your lungs!! Wait, let me share why I believe your answer ultimately has to be no. Just as rain falls, the sun eventually returns to brighten the day. If the elderly woman in the above scenario gave up, what would happened to her 5 grandchildren? Who would care for them? How would she know the next week her church members would volunteer to baby sit for her free of charge, the church would donate a new vehicle to assist her, and an anonymous volunteer would give her a donation paying her mortgage for the next six months. She wouldn’t know these things if she simply gave up.
From some of my hardest life challenges, I have learned the greatest lessons. No, when I was experiencing the trial it didn’t feel good nor did I always understand why I was experiencing it. Some days seemed very dark, and I was desperately seeking light. I held on as many of you have when you have faced life challenges. It was my faith, the love of others, and trusting God that pulled me through.
We all experience situations differently because we are all unique. The common ground comes in knowing we all face challenges and difficulties. It is simply a part of life. I challenge you to NEVER GIVE UP. I challenge you to know trusting God may not seem easy at the time but it is so worth it. I challenge you to know the sun does shine again, maybe not as quickly as you would like but Light casts Darkness away.
In those moments, lean on others whom you trust for support, rely on your faith heavily, even when you may not feel like it fellowship with someone or others who can walk with you through this time. Don’t self-blame, but do take time to reflect, and restore. Hold on, Hold on, and even when you can’t see the Light yet, HOLD ON!
