Imperfect World + Perfect God

     Thanks to all of you for allowing me, through stories in my past, to work through the questions of life, to talk out the hurt and to learn from it all. We’re in this together. Depression, addiction, illness and agonizing heartbreak and grief, are just a few of the crises that affect all of us.

     I picture these crises as a dark black wall looming in front of us. Sometimes, like my brother, we just sit in front of the wall and imagine the darkness is all around us. We forget there is light just around the edge of that wall and there is light above us if we just take a minute to look up. Like Jeff, addiction finds us beating ourselves against the wall time and time again until we are so bruised and battered we don’t have the strength to climb over or break through. Then there was Eleanor. She basically ignored the black wall of her illness anf focused on the light above. She knew where she was headed. The pain was nothing compared to the light of Christ within her and to the promise of heaven before her. Boy, I want to get to that place of pure trust and hope.

     I’m glad we’re on the journey together. I need my family and friends, like Patsy, to hold my hand and remind me I just need to walk a little farther to get around the darkness. There was light just around the corner and I almost missed it. When the battle ahead may be a long one, we need others to give us a boost, to hold us up and say, “Just a little longer. You can do it. See the light up there?”

     What about you? Can you trust the perfect God with all of the imperfections in the world around us? Can you trust Him to get you through the grief, the struggle, the darkness? Christ is the light and His light dispels the darkness. He gives us hope. I am saying this out loud this morning, “I trust you with my life, Lord Jesus.” He might just be ready to crush that dark wall in front of you into a million pieces. The light is just ahead.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Dear Father in heaven,

We can’t do this alone. We need each other. We need You. Give us hope today as we continue to learn to trust You even through the darkest times in our lives. Give us the right people at just the right time. We lean on Your perfect love in this imperfect world.

In Jesus name,

Amen