Trust

As I penned here on Thursday, it was quite the week of bad news.  One sad thing after the other seemed to be told to me and as the weekend went by, the despairing trend continued.  It really was a very heartbreaking weekend indeed.  Saturday night I was told my in-laws lost their much loved little dog, Mango.  Such a sweet little guy.  We will all miss him so much.  At this time, I was also grieving with a friend over the illness of her one year old kitten.  This was a little one that I had helped nurture when he first came to us at the shelter.  He felt like one of my own. Couple this with the loss of the old friend I spoke of last week, and thinking about the burdens left on her daughter's shoulders and some other difficulties that arose during the week....  let's just say praying was almost becoming as natural as breathing to me.   I'm pretty sure that's the way it's supposed to be anyway.

Sunday morning I received a text from my friend with the kitten, Junior.  He wasn't doing well and she was taking him to a specialist that day.  It was with a heavy heart I went to church that morning. After I finished crying on a dear sister's shoulder....I grabbed our bulletin for that week....and this was what it said on the cover.

Is this amazing or what?  We have an awesome and loving God.  Who among all the world can claim such a blessing and truth but us as Christians!?!  Were all the troubles and sorrows still around me? Yes.  Did I have peace in my heart?  Yes.  My friend still lost her Junior.  Mango had a good long life even if it was time to leave his earthly family.  And I know there are animals in Heaven.  The daughter of that old friend will be taken care of by our Lord and my financial shock will be provided for.  God will take care of all this and more.  

Sometimes we do not like or understand the answers to our prayers or the circumstances we are forced to endure..  Barbara leaving behind so much unfinished, and her family with so much need was one of them.  My friend losing a one year old kitten is another (I get the picture of Junior and Mango dancing around the feet of Jesus as they greet their creator).   But that's where faith comes in. These hard times stretch our faith, pushing its boundaries to  uncomfortable places we would rather not go.  Safety, we like....uncertainty and loss, not so much.  It is in these times that the Lord is working on more than just our earthly matters and situations.  He is going deeper.  

I am grateful that He does not leave us without encouragement.  But even if He was silent, it is still my job, and yours to trust.  This time, the Lord chose to send me a beautiful assurance that all was well....other times He may not.  Either way He is in control and on the throne and doing only good for us and those we love, whether two-legged or four.  (He saw all of His creation as good....animals as well as humans.)  

Thank You Lord for working in our lives, even in the hardest of times.  I know You understand our sadness, our devastation as You felt it too, and feel it now with us.  Wrap Your arms around those who are suffering.  Comfort them with Your love.  

Please be an encouragement to someone who is hurting today.  Let the Lord use us to help someone who is burdened by hard and sorrowful circumstances.  Ask the Lord to bring that person to your walk through this day.