Companions for the Ride

Rejoice with those who rejoice. mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15 

      Thinking about the highs and lows of this life, based on our roller-coaster ride yesterday, I was brought back to the year of my engagement and wedding. Sometimes our brightest moments of life coincide with our darkest moments. That was certainly true for us. My eye disease was diagnosed during the year I became engaged. My mom was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer a few months later. She had surgery, but became very sick the week of our wedding. She could not attend and died the next day. My husband lost his job shortly after that and I became pregnant a few months later with our first child. The highs and lows, came swiftly with little time to take it all in.

      Have you had times of great happiness and devastating grief collide? Those “Headline Events” in our lives are often used to describe us. Isn’t she the one? The one with cancer? The one with the disability? The one with the child in trouble? The one getting a divorce? Looking back, these times of great emotion not only drew my husband and me closer, but they brought me to my knees. Discovering Jesus brought joy in the midst of the muck and mire. Not only is He present with us during these times of deep hurt and glorious joy, but He places the perfect people around us to get us through. When I took my husband’s hand that early May day in 1987 and looked into his eyes, I knew God had given him to me at just the right time. He gave me a man of integrity, someone to trust. Believe me, it’s not easy living with this emotional, distracted, legally blind wife of his. But the two became one.

      Trust Jesus with your life. You may be surprised at the suffering you can get through, at the unexpected joy of a newborn baby, at seeing children grow into fabulous adults, at the people He puts in your path at just the right moment. Hang on. It won’t be easy, but this journey of life and faith is worth every tear, every smile, every hand-holding moment.

 Dear Father,
Thank you for the people we love; the friends who stand by us, the loves of our lives, the children, the siblings, the parents and the neighbors. Would you allow us to feel your unconditional love when we feel the most lonely and bring companions into the lives of those who need it most, at just the right moment. Allow us to show the kind of love You have shown us, the sacrificial, humble love of a servant. In Jesus Name,
Amen