Two D-Day veterans were interviewed for a program commemorating the 61st anniversary of the famous World War II battle. The first veteran was a Marine who fought the battle on the ground, on Omaha beach. The other was an Army reconnaissance pilot. He fought the battle in the air, high above the seashore.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
…Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.
Psalm 13:1-... (continued)

THE CRY OF A HEART IN NEED OF PERSPECTIVE
God, do you know that I am suffering? I keep praying for healing, for relief, for answers, for some sign that You hear me. But my prayers don’t seem to make any difference. Sometimes it feels as if You’re not even there. Have You forgotten about me? Do You still love me? Where are You, God?

THE CRY OF A SEARCHING HEART
God, You have the power to make my suffering go away, so why don’t You? How can You stand by and appear to do nothing? I never expected to suffer like this. I never imagined that You would allow things to get this out of hand.Why doesn’t my pain move You to action?

THE CRY OF A QUESTIONING HEART
God, if I share with You what’s on my heart, will You listen? Will You be there to help me? Or will You be angry with me if I ask the hard questions? I need to know if my efforts to talk with You make a difference. Is it okay if I’m really honest with You, God?

THE CRY OF A HEART SEARCHING FOR HOPE
Okay, God. If You’re not going to make my suffering go away, can You at least cause something good to come from it? And if it is part of Your plan to bring some good from my pain, can You give me a glimpse of what that good might be? Can You give me something good to hang on to, some hope to hold out for?

I will never forget the look on my husband’s face when he walked into the kitchen that Tuesday. Norris and I had been married for eighteen years, yet I had never known his eyes to convey such seriousness and concern. He looked at me and quietly said, “I need to talk to you upstairs.” Upstairs meant away from our three boys who were awaiting daddy’s return home from work.

When we’re suffering, our pain can overwhelm us. The resources we’ve counted on to get us through our trials fail us and we lose confidence that we can make it through what lies ahead. But God’s perspective is never shaken by circumstances or diminished by our weakness. His perspective is a gift—a resource that gives us grace, strength, wisdom, peace and a reason to endure. Paraphrased below are hig... (continued)

It is never easy to trust a God we cannot see. It is especially difficult to trust God when we hurt, when things happen that don’t make sense to us and when God doesn’t live up to our idea of who He is or our expectations of what He ought to be doing in our lives. Like many others who have endured times of adversity, I’ve wrestled with the reality of suffering in my life. I’ve struggled ... (continued)