Sometimes there are no Answers, only Trust....
19/05/2012 12:35
This past week has been a difficult one. Last Tuesday, we heard some very tragic news. The son of dear friends had accidentally fallen to his death from a high cliff. What a terrible shock for his family and for all who knew him. It was too hard to take in. A 24 year old Christian boy in the prime of his life. His life snatched from him in a trice! Where was God in all of this? I grieved for his parents and for his brother. I grieved for a beautiful life cut short. I grieved for the way his parents lives had been changed so drastically in an instant. I wished I could undo what had occurred.
Over the past 6 months or more, I have been hearing daily of many in our friendship circle and beyond who are going through very difficult circumstances. It seems to me that hard times are on the increase, everywhere – the world over. Seven weeks ago, our family doctor and his son met with a terrible accident and are still in hospital. What a dreadful impact the accident made on their family. Their lives will never be the same. While I was in Sri Lanka a few weeks ago, we heard the terrible news of another similar incident where a 15 year old girl was crushed and was in the ICU struggling for her life. We prayed much for her. Two weeks later she died.
A dear friend has had ‘no life’ for many years now – thanks to many medical issues which never get sorted out, despite her undergoing several major operations. She’s in her forties. Far too young to have ‘no life’! How I wish I had a wand to wave over her and give her back her life! A close friend who’s a single Mum has been suddenly made redundant. How will she cope? My heart goes out to her and my prayers are with her. Many people I know are battling cancer – even little children. Too many hurting people. No answers. No glimmer of light in their darkness.
Several years ago, when going through very painful circumstances, God challenged me to take Proverbs 3:5 & 6 as two of my life verses. I realised then that it was futile to spend too much time on the question ‘Why?’. Instead it was better to concentrate on a different question ‘What now?’ I decided to ‘lean not on my own understanding’ as the verse told me to do. And so, when difficult circumstances blocked my way or were difficult to surmount, I went to God but without taking a ‘Why?’ question with me. I realised that my job was not to question why. It was instead, to put my hand into God’s Hand and to trust Him. It was one of the best decisions I have made.
Why do I say that? Because I have come to realise that God doesn’t always give us the answers to our heart’s cries. He doesn’t tell us why. He only tells us that He cares deeply for us, more than we an ever imagine. He knows about everything you and I go through. He understands our pain. He walks with us through the valleys. And our part is to trust Him.
But when I see friends and family and (even people I don’t know) going through deep, distressing seasons, my ‘why?’ surfaces. In my own life – it’s much easier. You see, after I’ve been through a tough season, I have found many good reasons for why things didn’t turn out the way I’d have liked. That makes trusting a lot easier the next around. When I encounter the next difficult season, I know that He will bring about good out of the bad; that no matter how awful it seems, He has it all under control.
I have seen God build my character out of brokenness; I have found Him bringing me closer to Him through my trials. When people have failed me, I have found my Treasure in Jesus. I have found eternal riches in the midst of pain. Yes, trusting God was enough.
But when others go through hard times, I need answers, because the picture then gets distorted. ‘Father God – I find it hard to understand. Help me understand’. And sometimes comes even the why question! ‘Why God! Why?’
As I journey through life there are times when I have no answers. Instead, I have a God to run to. My dance steps may slow down and even stop. I place myself in His tender Hands to carry me and He does the dancing then.
All I have is God. And the knowledge that He has been faithful in my life. And the promises from His word that He cares and is in control.
Sometimes there are no answers. Only tears. Brokenness. Pain. Questions. Sadness. Difficulty.
God is God. He has shown me that truth over and over again. As I have trusted Him with my own pain and sorrows, with my own heartaches and brokenness, I’ve seen Him come through for me time after time after time. And so, I can look again to Him on behalf of my hurting friends. And know with certainty born of His faithfulness in my own life – that the world and all who live in it are still safe in His loving and sovereign Hands. I wall grieve with those who grieve; I will bring them to God in prayer; I will ‘be there’ for them as far as I am able. And I will keep clinging onto my God who has always been faithful.
Sometimes all I have is God. And He is enough.
Not now, but in the coming years,
It may be in a better land,
We’ll know the meaning of our tears
And then sometime we’ll understand.
So trust in God, through all thy days
Fear not, for He does hold thine Hand.
Though dark, thy way still sing and praise.
Sometime, sometime we’ll understand.