GOD IS HERE

YOU ARE NEVER ALONE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The enemy of our soul reaches into the  areas where loss has occurred, either recently or in the past.   No reverence, never caring,  barreling through grabbing deep to rob previously enjoyed peace.

 

A few moments before the painful occurrence smacks you in the face, you were simply living life. Possibly playing freely with wild abandonment or walking peacefully in your safe gentle world. It doesn’t matter. We live in a world where there is no preset preparation for what lies ahead.

 

Recently, a woman at church shared how she and her husband were joyfully expecting the birth of their second child.  Everything was going well. They went on a planned vacation before the joy of life with two little ones would begin.  During the vacation at the start of the second trimester things went horribly wrong.   Without warning, a fun filled vacation day beginning as any other, ended in an unexpected trip to the hospital and tragic news concerning their unborn child.

 

How does one respond to unexpected news of this sort dumped into one’s story?  Isn’t someone in charge of protecting good people? Couldn’t God keep this little wanted unborn child thriving inside.? The pain was intense. Why did it happen?

 

It has been a year since the Charleston S.C. Church Massacre (June 17, 2015).  Dylann Roof was warmly welcomed into a bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church that fatal evening.  He entered the building with a bible and a hidden .45 -caliber handgun. The people who left their homes for the study never imagined the evening would bring such horror.   Tragically, nine lives ended that night.

 

How can friends and families respond to that kind of piercing pain? Many doors suddenly closed affecting the stories of this community.  The pain was intense. Why did it happen?

 

Many years ago, my life was swept up in the joy of worship through vocal expression. I truly enjoyed conveying my love to God and sharing His heart with people in this fashion.  It wasn’t huge, but it gave me great joy.  Suddenly and without warning, that door was unexpectedly closed.

 

This delightful aspect of sharing my love, my worship was no longer needed. The door was shut. The pain was intense. Why did it happen?

 

All three incidents were gut wrenching experiences.

The death of a dream

The death of a loved, wanted, unborn child

The senseless deaths of loved ones

 

Where does one’s heart go in this pain? How does one handle the sudden jolt of waking up one morning to a brand new day in joy only to be thrown into sudden turbulence and death?  The easy slide leans to anger, grief, and pain possibly ending in HATE!

 

Hate Toward Life

Hate Toward the Gunman

Hate Toward GOD

Is this how it played out in the lives of these people?

In all three incidents, the relationship these people had with Jesus was their solid factor.

I am not saying the pain automatically went away with a few simple words. That would be absurd. I am saying the Son of God chose to walk through the pain with us as we were willing to recognize our need for Him. He saw our insides being bounced around as a tiny boat dashed to and fro against the waves. He not only saw our boat, from afar, He climbed inside with us so we were not alone.

The ones left behind from the Charleston community read the  in their bible many times to “FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES.”  It was  not automatic. Their coming holidays would be far different than before.  Jesus chose to go to that dark place of pain and walk with them. He wept.

At times, when I no longer was on the worship team and worship songs I once lead were used I wept.  It was painful. I could not understand the choice. Jesus chose to go to that dark pain and walk with me. He wept.

The parents needed to deal with the reality of their painful loss. There was no reason or why.   Jesus chose to go to that dark pain and walk with them. He wept.

 

Jesus not only reaches out His hand to walk through the pain with us. He chose to weep with us. He is the Vast Comforter completely surrounding us. Jesus is the only one who is able to engage with us as He leads us to the peaceful stream.

 

After the death of His good friend Lazarus, Jesus was pained, He was troubled. He joined Mary and Martha in their pain. Jesus Wept!  (John 11: 33-35).

John 11:33-35New International Version (NIV)

 ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

                                                                ³⁵ Jesus wept

 

Don’t fear waking in the morning. The sky will be blue. The trees will be green. Flowers bloom. This post is not written to make you paranoid of what lies ahead so you are afraid to get out of bed.  It is written to show that we truly have one who chooses to know the intense pain we will go through. All pain.  If you want to open your heart to God in the pain, the size, big or small, is of no consequence. Jesus, the SON OF GOD,  wraps His arms around you.  You are not alone.  Just as Jesus wept with Mary and Martha, He saw their need and brought life. Jesus will weep with you, and bring the life you need.

If you have comments or questions, please feel free to leave them. We can all feel alone. Jesus is always willing to negate that lie if we are willing to bring it to Him. We are on this journey together.

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Thanks to the woman who gave me permission to use her story in this blog. Her strength will hopefully be a door to others in dealing with pain.

The facts concerning the occurrence at the Charleston Emanuel AME Church were obtained from an article: THE LONG ROAD TO FORGIVENESS (AARP  Bulletin/Real Possibilities June 2016).