“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”
1 John 1:5 NIV
The overwhelming power of pain never ceases to amaze me. Most of us will do whatever we can to keep from facing pain, regardless of what type of pain we’re talking.
We steer clear of conversations about death because the mere idea of loss is so painful, even the conversation is hard to beat. We hold on so tight to our ideas of what life should look like, we live in a constant state of anxiety in our efforts to control and keep it.
People in pain often turn inward and away from the things that would help them the most. The unfortunate side effect of that choice is the pain of loss we cause other people in the dust we leave behind.
We are human, prone to mistakes and errors in judgement, no matter how hard we try to do better. Sometimes the best action is no action at all, but that’s hard for us humans to manage.
I’ve seen God manage many amazing things in my life, all with little or no help from me. When I relinquished control of my path to God, He led me to straight to my husband, my amazing step-children, and my beautiful grandchildren.
I spent my whole life assuming this particular path was never going to be one I’d get to walk. That assumption ran so deep, I never even wasted time hoping for such things. Yet, here I am, blessed with the very things I felt were impossibilities.
My husband and I just spent our third Christmas together…in our third home…one third of the way through our third year of marriage. These have been the best years of my life so far. If I’d not been willing to walk through the pain and grief I was experiencing, trusting my path to God instead of myself, I’d never have found this depth of joy.
There are other aspects of life that are very difficult for me right now, which is true for most of us, I think. This year has turned the whole world upside down. There is grief and fear permeating lives from all the loss and uncertainty. Lost jobs, forced relocations, and more lost loved ones than anyone should have to bear.
Our time for fellowship has been minimized and, to a certain degree, tainted. We cannot allow these worldly circumstances to dictate our joy. After many, many tears in the last 24hrs, I once again found my way back to being okay, even when I’m not okay.
No matter what life brings, God will make sure we have what we need. We will often not have what we want, and for some, that may feel like not having what is needed. It’s critical, especially right now, to differentiate between wants and needs.
Be the person God NEEDS you to be… that person will always come most naturally to you, and will open the doors God intends to be opened. Don’t hide from you pain… walk through it.
Remember how much power there is in the light… the pictures below are a great example of the power of the light. It can melt even the coldest hearts.
Love the Hand of God 