Three Steps To Take When Nothing Makes Sense
What do we do with a child who can’t speak and will never live independently?
What do we do with those babies we lost before our lips ever touched their velvety soft heads?
What do we do with a horribly abusive childhood: parents who acted like enemies, neighbors who stole innocence, bullies who ridiculed and berated?
What do we do with husbands who find satisfaction in images of naked women, wives who desire other men, children who rebel, and financial portfolios that lie empty?
What do we do with pain and sorrow? What do we do when we can’t make sense of our lives?
Evidence of God’s Faithfulness
There is only one answer for when our world goes awry: We need to trace the fingerprints of God. We need to remind ourselves of His love.
God’s love is evidenced by the good things we can see and the blessings we miss in our limited perspective.
God's love is evidenced by the good things we can see and the blessings we miss in our limited perspective. Click To Tweet
So we need to be intentional about noticing God’s gifts in our lives. Yes, my friends, gifts. Because there are always gifts.
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11
We are the children of the King. We are heirs to the throne.
God loves us with an everlasting, never-ending, wider-and-higher-than-can-be-imagined love. He does give us good gifts. Gifts far more glorious than we can perceive.
But sometimes nothing makes sense in our world. Sometimes those blessings are masked
- by the pain in our wounded heart,
- by the limitations of our anguish-glazed eyes,
- by the preconceived ideas in our finite mind
Three Steps To Regain Perspective
Evidence of God’s love, of His hand in your life, will clear away the fog of despair and doubt in your circumstances. So daily…
- Reach bravely. Give thanks for the first thing you touch.
- Seek diligently. Look in one new place for new color, new growth, new texture, new scent and sound that awaken your senses. Write it down. Discover those hidden blessings.
- Declare boldly. By faith you are saved. No earthly trials can take that away. Search out and record Scripture declaring the hope of your salvation. Claim it by faith, even when you don’t feel it.
Because God is faithful, and there is and always will be good to come. Tracing His fingerprints will make that abundantly evident.
This sorrow, this circumstance isn’t the end. It is only a hill to climb in the midst. It is only a spring storm to push through. It is only another length to swim in the race.
It hurts, but it will strengthen you as you learn to lean on the source of all strength, the Lord God.
And what strengthens you is undoubtedly a gift, even though it may stay wrapped in scraps for a time.
What strengthens you is undoubtedly a gift, even though it may stay wrapped in scraps for a time. Click To Tweet
“You will lead the people You have redeemed with Your faithful love; You will guide them to Your holy dwelling with Your strength.” Exodus 15:13
And now for my ongoing record of His faithfulness.
Linking up again this year with Ann Voskamp’s 2014 Joy Dare. Find the linkup at A Holy Experience. Beginning where I left off in 2013. What a blessing! #2777–2797, read the entire list by clicking here.
- Suprising Zach by attending his soccer game; Concession stand to block the cold wind at the game; Bright colors of the grass and trees in the twilight
- Rach’s kisses; Zach’s decision to attend Wheaton College; God’s might as evidenced in nature–lightening strike blew tree parts in a great radius
- Graduation photos ordered; Leftover potatoes to make potato pancakes; One day closer to warm weather
- Healthy teeth and gums (so says my dentist); Unusually satisfying day despite not getting much done; Gift of seeing my daughter who has special needs as a blessing not a burden
- Sun rays streaming through the clouds; Watching the movie #Frozen tonight–lots of laughs; A day with Mom
- Loons on our lake as they migrate north–love their call; Sending Zach off to enjoy prom; Grilling weather
- Relief of issues addressed and grace delivered; A boy growing into a helpful young man; Graduation announcements finally out!
By His Grace,
Julie
3 Comments
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Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.
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Good word and a great list. Thanks for visiting!
Hi Julie,
“Reach, seek, declare” — good reminders for any hard times we may be going through, and just for the everyday moments too.
Hopping over from Ann’s link up,
Have a great week,
Jennifer Dougan
http://www.jenniferdougan.com
So glad you stopped over, Jennifer. I find I need to remind myself to reach, seek, and declare often. But when I do, my perspective shifts quickly, from woe is me to Praise You, Most High God! Happy Wednesday!