Think for a moment about the times in your life where you thought that all was lost, or you could not see the end of a very long and trying situation, or someone’s death had caused you to become depressed and you wondered where God was in all of it. You may have had a time when you or a loved one had an illness that was life threatening, where everything seems uncertain with no possible good solution, all of us at one time or the other may have been in these positions before.
Just reading about or hearing about the tragic events around the world could cause us to question, does God really care about all of this human suffering? These world events often pain me because I do not understand why humans have a need to impose pain on other humans for no apparent reason, however I continue to pray for both sides and try to place it in God’s hands.
Reflecting back on my own life, I most certainly have had trying moments. I do not know if I have had more or less such events then others, however, it seems best to not compare my life to another’s life, just have each person look at their own. The situations that have caused me some anguish have involved around my own actions and those connected to my immediate family. Looking back over the challenges with my daughter, the issues with my education, my work life, moving from one place to the other, or financial things do not seem to be as dreadful now as it did when I went through them.
However, after my late wife’s illness and death I came to realize that for me the most important things in this earthly life were family, friends, and relationships. That period changed me in more ways than I can address here. Of course, my spiritual pilgrimage and my relationship with God were the most vital to me; but right after that was my family, friends and my relationships.
God’s love was there for me through all of the stressful times of my life, it was just that often I could not see it or feel it because the pain or sorrow was so pronounced; occasionally it was shown through others who were there to help me, and sometimes I just had to keep on walking to be able to see it again. Feeling God’s love through this caused me to look at life differently.
This is a very powerful passage that is often quoted and used for comfort. May it support you and may you have the faith to trust that nothing in this world can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. This love will walk with you regardless of where you are at on this journey! May you feel this love of God, through your family, friends, and relationships. Peace, Vernon T. (Picture is of a younger version of the Jones’ men, who were all blessed to have Emma B. Jones raise them.)
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