Help My Unbelief!

In the blink of an eye, the world turns ugly. From sunny, blue skies to dark clouds and hurricane-force winds. And the rain! It comes down in sheets, so hard at times one can barely see around the corner.

And a mother’s heart bleeds.

It bleeds for the injustice of this life. For the cruelness. The callousness.

Why is life so hard?

I know the answer before I even ask it—sin of course. My head knows the answer; nevertheless, my heart struggles with it.

There will be chaos, ugliness, pain, and storms. There will be dark days (sometimes weeks or months). That is a promise. When sin entered this world through Adam and Eve, perpetual peace, joy, and light left.

We are never ready for the consequence of sin to rear its ugly head in our lives. I am never ready! But it comes despite my state of readiness.

I know the balm for the pain. I know Who can comfort, strengthen, and guide me in the dark. But my response time is lagging. After all of these years dealing with consequences of worldly sin, I should have the drill down by now.

“Hard” strikes? Take refuge in the Lord. Trust that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Believe that He is in this as much as in my salvation. Know that He cares.

Spring will come. The storm will pass.

A mother will laugh again, her heart restored!

My head knows! It really does. Now my heart just needs to follow!

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song” (Psalm 28:7).

Lord, I trust You in the good times, the easy moments. My joy in You is contagious at those times. And I firmly believe my salvation is secure through my faith in You. I can see your hand so vividly in my past now that I’m through those storms. But I become blind so quickly! Forgive me as I wander in darkness yet again, straining to see Your guiding light—as  I try to make sense of the pain in the light of my humanness instead of trusting in You as Redeemer of All. But I will choose to believe there is redemption in this and all events in our lives no matter how hurtful because You are Lord and You are love. And I will encourage my heart to catch up to my head. Father, help my unbelief! Amen.