A foundation, not an eraser

Imagine a target with "loss" as the bulls-eye...it may be the loss of a job or loss of a loved one or some other painful loss, but how many of us would take our arrows and shoot at this target voluntarily?  Yet we all experience grievous situations, though we never aim for those seasons.  Sometimes those come directly related to carelessness or sin on our part (loving to sleep in conflicts with getting to work on time just one too many times!).  Sometimes we experience what we might call a victim's pain (a drunk driver T-boned you, leaving you disabled).  There are a gazillion scenarios being worked out in our lives ranging from stubbed toe sorts of pain to heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, soul-searching varieties.  And somehow God is working all of these together for the good of those who call upon His name...and somehow believing this doesn't erase the pain, but it gives us a foundation to rest upon so that our circumstances do not crush us as we take the next step of faith, holding tight to His hand, trusting Him to draw us ever closer to Himself either in the pain or by delivering us from it.

This past few weeks it seems like loss and painful situations are swirling around like a hurricane...miscarriages, facing much "ugly" in pursuit of a daughter, loss of work, life-flight emergency, serious illness, private struggles and so much more!  This morning as I was talking with one of my girls about a very real loss she is wrestling with, we both came to the place in the midst of hugs and tears of knowing that the pains God gives us are never wasted. We're thankful He is totally trustworthy as He sends us these "gifts"; thankful that He sets the limits and carries us through; thankful He is our Father who loves us and gives us His all-sufficient grace every day.

Clinging to Him,
Connie