Hope, Pain, Words of Endurance
So we’re not giving up.
How could we!
Even though on the outside
it often looks like things are falling apart on us,
on the inside, where God is making new life,
not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.
These hard times are small potatoes
compared to the coming good times,
the lavish celebration prepared for us.
There’s far more here than meets the eye.
The things we see now are
here today, gone tomorrow.
But the things we can’t see now
will last forever.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18 (THE MESSAGE)
I know firsthand how hard it is to find solid ground when pain and suffering blast into your world and turns it upside down. How overwhelming it feels when adversity shatters your view on life. How frustrating it is to lose perspective just when you need clear vision and insight the most.
To me, the journey through pain and suffering feels a bit like waking up in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language. All of a sudden you are in a world you don’t understand. You don’t understand what people are saying to you and you don’t know how to communicate back to them. Sometimes you don’t even understand what your own brain is thinking! You have no clue about what is happening around you but there is no doubt you are right in the middle of it.
That is the way it is in the world of pain and suffering. Suddenly everything you thought you knew about life – how it worked – how it was supposed to be – what is important – is up for grabs. At that moment the questions flood over you: “How do I survive this?” “How do I make life work again?” “Is it always going to be this hard?” “What do I need to do to just to get through the day?” “Will my life ever be normal again?”
As difficult as this journey is I promise you that in the midst of your pain there are some wonderful things that you can begin to experience that will help you endure and bring you to a new normal. Over the next several weeks we will be sharing others’ perspective-building experiences with you. We know these true-life stories will bring you a new perspective resulting in hope.
So if you feel lost in the darkness of a strange and unknown place – be assured that you will survive the journey when you begin to rebuild your shattered perspective. Be assured there is a hope that will not lead you to disappointment!
We can rejoice, too,
when we run into problems and trials,
for we know that they help us develop endurance.
And endurance develops strength of character,
and character strengthens
our confident hope of salvation.
And this hope will not lead to disappointment.
ROMANS 5:3-5 (NLT)
On the Journey with You,
Dave Dravecky