A friend of mine just went through one of the toughest weekend of her life. It was Easter weekend and she got nothing but bad news from 3 different perspective..so imagine, we're reminded of Christ death & celebrated His victorious resurrection on that particular week & here she was, struggling in that turmoil.
When I got word of what really happened, it was already a few days after that.
What i'm writing here are both a deep convictions on my part and full respect of her.
Convictions because I should have sense or seen it & should have taken the time to really ask her what happened but instead I didn't see it & we were so engrossed with the other things that were going around & in our own lives. But one thing i do thank God (so much) was that He provided wiser counsel for her. She had people she could talked to & He didn't leave her hanging, but even in the light of that - i shouldn't have assumed..i shouldn't have been so oblivious.
Next, a full respect because she might look burdened & even dismayed and although she didn't tell us anything at the point when things were happening - she held on. She didn't fake her emotions. She sang with sob of tears in her eyes but she sang hard.
For me, that's guts! That she worshipped God even though the pressure of the situations were mounting. Yes! she was angry..yes! she was extremely hurt..yes! It was unbearable..
It could have even been understandable if she withdrew from everything and just taking a time-out but instead, she didn't withdraw. She had her silent tears and aching look but she didn't withdraw.
The mess she landed herself in, 2 of it was so unnecessary & truly said - it's not even her fault to begin with, while the other one was unexpected & worrying.
So, i guess what i'm trying to say here is this; that weekend her devotion & worship cost her dearly. It's one thing to worship God in the midst of good & blessings but to still worship Him as a great & good God in the midst of such unnecessary troubles & unresolved mess - it's too mind boggling..it's too oxymoron! and the funny thing was, now that i know what i know - it was a powerful worship!
One way or another, the trouble is still unresolved today but we talk about it now. I pray she doesn't feel too alone in the struggle and if she reads my blog, i hope she comes out knowing she has both convicted and challenged me greatly! I thank her for not pretending. Her scars & pains are real..and her worship was even more real.
I believe with every ounce of my being that God is still good. Life is terribly unfair & stupid so many times but as real life hits & grabs us; God is even more real. He is not one who doesn't understand. The Bible says we have a High Priest (Jesus) who sympathise with us. He sympathise because He Himself understand what pain, betrayal, unfairness and loneliness are.
And that makes me love God more! Because how could I worship a God who is aloof or afar off? A mystic of a divine figure, who doesn't understand a shread of human emotions or struggle? I can't because it will be a total waste of time! I won't waste my short & mortal earthly life in trying to gain favor from a figure who doesn't give a 'hoot' about me!
But instead, we are told of a story of a great & loving God. Who not only say it but lived it. He came into human history because He is no liar neither cruel. Yes, there is pain & evil in the world because of sin, but just as He too lived in the midst of the sin-ravaged world - He showed us we can too.
He doesn't undermined the wickedness & pain but He said even that, even the aftermath of sin - can't 'kill' you. I'm not saying we 'switch-off' when we go through such heartbreaking pain and neither do we go foolishly looking for it but we go through none the less; we go through & persevere because even though you don't see any solution at all - that act of holding on to the truth that He will pull you through it, is in itself the lesson learned. That act of holding-on is in itself powerful!
Another lesson learned - don't make up your mind about something in a haste. Learn to REALLY see. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, the moment when we tend to come out strong in opinion & we sense a soft hint of doubt..rewind!
anyways, i thought i'd leave you all with a video by John Piper, who i regard as one of my heroes of faith :) This video spoke volume to me..i hope it does to you too...
Really go with God, people! Because He doesn't disappoint. Really!
What i'm writing here are both a deep convictions on my part and full respect of her.
Convictions because I should have sense or seen it & should have taken the time to really ask her what happened but instead I didn't see it & we were so engrossed with the other things that were going around & in our own lives. But one thing i do thank God (so much) was that He provided wiser counsel for her. She had people she could talked to & He didn't leave her hanging, but even in the light of that - i shouldn't have assumed..i shouldn't have been so oblivious.
Next, a full respect because she might look burdened & even dismayed and although she didn't tell us anything at the point when things were happening - she held on. She didn't fake her emotions. She sang with sob of tears in her eyes but she sang hard.
For me, that's guts! That she worshipped God even though the pressure of the situations were mounting. Yes! she was angry..yes! she was extremely hurt..yes! It was unbearable..
It could have even been understandable if she withdrew from everything and just taking a time-out but instead, she didn't withdraw. She had her silent tears and aching look but she didn't withdraw.
The mess she landed herself in, 2 of it was so unnecessary & truly said - it's not even her fault to begin with, while the other one was unexpected & worrying.
So, i guess what i'm trying to say here is this; that weekend her devotion & worship cost her dearly. It's one thing to worship God in the midst of good & blessings but to still worship Him as a great & good God in the midst of such unnecessary troubles & unresolved mess - it's too mind boggling..it's too oxymoron! and the funny thing was, now that i know what i know - it was a powerful worship!
One way or another, the trouble is still unresolved today but we talk about it now. I pray she doesn't feel too alone in the struggle and if she reads my blog, i hope she comes out knowing she has both convicted and challenged me greatly! I thank her for not pretending. Her scars & pains are real..and her worship was even more real.
I believe with every ounce of my being that God is still good. Life is terribly unfair & stupid so many times but as real life hits & grabs us; God is even more real. He is not one who doesn't understand. The Bible says we have a High Priest (Jesus) who sympathise with us. He sympathise because He Himself understand what pain, betrayal, unfairness and loneliness are.
And that makes me love God more! Because how could I worship a God who is aloof or afar off? A mystic of a divine figure, who doesn't understand a shread of human emotions or struggle? I can't because it will be a total waste of time! I won't waste my short & mortal earthly life in trying to gain favor from a figure who doesn't give a 'hoot' about me!
But instead, we are told of a story of a great & loving God. Who not only say it but lived it. He came into human history because He is no liar neither cruel. Yes, there is pain & evil in the world because of sin, but just as He too lived in the midst of the sin-ravaged world - He showed us we can too.
He doesn't undermined the wickedness & pain but He said even that, even the aftermath of sin - can't 'kill' you. I'm not saying we 'switch-off' when we go through such heartbreaking pain and neither do we go foolishly looking for it but we go through none the less; we go through & persevere because even though you don't see any solution at all - that act of holding on to the truth that He will pull you through it, is in itself the lesson learned. That act of holding-on is in itself powerful!
Another lesson learned - don't make up your mind about something in a haste. Learn to REALLY see. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, the moment when we tend to come out strong in opinion & we sense a soft hint of doubt..rewind!
anyways, i thought i'd leave you all with a video by John Piper, who i regard as one of my heroes of faith :) This video spoke volume to me..i hope it does to you too...
Really go with God, people! Because He doesn't disappoint. Really!
