Light and Momentary Afflictions

In the emergency room writhing in pain.

Sitting around the dinner table crushed by the accusations.

Walking the halls of a school not your first choice.

Standing in the driveway stunned by the doctor's latest news.

At her bedside saying good-bye for the last time.

Watching them walk away feeling betrayed and alone.

It's moments like these that our reality comes crashing down around us. And to hear others say, "It's going to be ok, God's still in control, or they're time's coming" aren't always the most consoling words for our worn out minds and busted hearts.

The truth is, things will eventually get better and the sun is going to rise again and we are going to get back up on our feet. But in the heat of such moments we're all tempted to fold. To throw in the towel. To scream the obscenities associated with life being unfair.

In our world, those circumstances are heavy and real. But to the onlookers casting a ballot of insignificance toward our situation, they fail to see how wounded we are on the inside. They lack the empathy or the wherewithal to even begin to understand.

Having personally experienced all the above mentioned scenarios, I'm learning how to come out on the other side with a renewed understanding of life. As Martin Luther King Jr, once said, learning "to be judged by the content of their character."

So, here are two simple thoughts that I'm trying to let my mind navigate as I encounter the various difficult seasons of life.

Embrace this season. There are circumstances that we encounter that are beyond our control. We can choose to deny what's going on in our lives, blame others for what's happening to us, or embrace the situation and ride the difficult waves of our trials to the end.

Choose to change. Difficult seasons do one of two things; make us bitter or make us better. It's likely that we've heard that old adage before but it's so true. Our trials are producing a particular attitude that is monumentally shaping our perspective toward life, others, and God. And to simply remain neutral is not optional. The most advantageous response to our situation is to become more humble and more honorable in our interactions with God and others.

Someone once told me, "God does not waste any pain." I didn't believe it at the time because my world was crashing down all around me. But as I continued to walk through the fire I slowly began to see the work that was producing a different me. There were sinful attitudes and expressions of selfishness being exposed, and empathy toward others walking through similar battles that I was able to acknowledge.

And while the weight of our trials can seem unbearable at times, God says they are light and momentary. The good news is He will never abandon us in those moments of fear, angst, betrayal, or desperation.

He has a plan for our lives. A plan that involves both grace and blessing and suffering and difficulty. One that causes us to scratch our heads at times and ask, "Why?" But He promises that in the end it will be light and momentary compared to the eternal weight of glory working in us.