Friday, June 3, 2011

Life's Storms



You sometimes secretly feel guilty when watching the news and you see the horrible things happening in the world to other people: famine, earthquakes, wars, accidents, attacks, plane crashes… You quickly pray, Help those people! while guiltily glad it didn’t happen to anyone you know. And then came the storm and the boating accident. Four people from your church picnic drowned—including your dad. Even though it’s been a month, it still doesn’t seem real. Your mind won’t accept that he’s truly gone, that he won’t sail through the front door again, home from a business trip with candy in his briefcase for you.


But he is gone, and sometimes when it hits you, you can barely breathe. You know he’s in heaven and you’ll see him again some day. But each morning the loss hits you—and your mom—all over again. You read your Bible often through blurry tears these days. One verse—how Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted—has become something you and your mom cling to. You believe God’s Word is true, even though you don’t feel healed yet. You believe someday the pain will ease, then eventually go away—even though you’ll always miss your dad. In the meantime, the two of you take it on faith. "Thank you, Lord, for starting the healing process, even though we still hurt so much," your mom prays with you. "Jesus, give us strength to go on. Amen."


Today you may not be dealing with a painful loss, but you may know someone who is. Give them your hope. Show them that Jesus came to save them for eternity—but also to heal their wounds now. "He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted." (Luke 4:18 NKJV)

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