A Different Kind of Hope: Part Two
To read Part One click here.
Sometimes in the middle of our hurt we may think, “I’m not too happy with God right now. In fact, I don’t like what He’s done one bit.”
That’s okay too. God gave us all of our emotions—sadness, joy, anger—and that means He can handle all of them.
Is it easy to come to Him in hard times and does it mean we happily accept everything from His hands?
No.
But ultimatefuly we have to decide if we're going to trust.
I remember being in a book club and we read about the Holocaust. It was shortly after a loss on my journey and it seemed there had been a small Holocaust in my heart as well.
We were talking about how God could allow something like that to happen. I said, “I don’t know...but I feel like God is asking me, 'Will you love me for who I am or for who you want me to be?' ”
He asks all of us that question at some point. It’s not an easy one…in fact, it's the hardest one I've ever had to answer.
Yet at the end of the day we have to choose, even when we don't understand.
There’s a blog I loved called Bring the Rain by Angie Smith. She lost her little girl, Audrey Caroline the day she was born. In one place Angie says...
Sometimes I think it’s harder to believe the way I do, because I believe with everything in me that He could have changed the story. This line of thinking inevitable leads me to the question, “Why didn’t He?”
Many people have written with the same question, and I want to tell you that I have thought it through many times and I have come up with a great theological explanation that I want to share with you.
I have absolutely no idea.
What I do know is this: The Lord walks beside me as He walked beside Moses, and He knows me by name. He loves me, and I love Him. I pushed my baby through the reeds and never saw her again. And yet here I am, worshipping the God who allowed it.
A different kind of hope holds on to Who not why.
And He holds us right back...
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For each post in this series I'll be giving away a Hope and Encouragement card pack from DaySpring so you can help some hurting hearts. It includes 10 cards (I wrote some of them) and would be worth over $30 if you got them at a store. I'll announce all the winners when the series is done. Just leave a comment on any of the posts—or on more than one for extra entries!
(Subscribers, remember to go to the post to leave your comment. Thanks!)
*This giveaway is done but you can enter a new one and join me in The Rest of Your Story series by clicking here!
Holley Gerth
Reader Comments (40)
During that time (and others) I asked God, "Why? Why NOW"?! I actually argued with the God of the universe....tried to argue my point! How arrogant. BUT GOD knew how to handle me. He showed me that if I truly trust Him I don't need to ask 'why'. (Even if I received that answer, it may not be the one I want to hear. It may not help me heal). I should really ask, "Ok God, now what? What am I supposed to learn from this? Or am I just supposed to curl up on your lap and allow your embrace to envelope me?" Or, as my paster has said-"It's like stepping into a warm, relaxing bath. You put your feet in and eventually your whole body and you lay there and let your body go limp." Yes, many times I've simply layed in the arms of God and let my body go 'limp': I just didn't have the strength to do more.
Thanks for the reminder to hope. :)
Have a blessed weekend, dear friend!
I lost the relationship of my husband, my lovely daughter, wonderful son-in-law, and beautiful grandchildren - all at the same time - due to a tragic and unfortunate event in our family, but truly through no fault of my own. It is coming up on 5 years now. It has literally ripped me apart. I felt very much like Job in the Bible. I wanted to die, and I prayed to die. I asked the question, "Why me? Why did this happen me, especially taking everything I hold dear in my life? What have I done to deserve this horrible pain in my life?" He answerd me saying, "Are you more deserving than my Son, with all He had to endure?" I answered Him, "Yes, but He was the Son of the Living and powerful God. He knew the purpose of Your Plan." Something in my heart gave me peace and a great feeling of security because God knows the purpose of His plan in my life - that even if I don't know the reason now I will someday when He reveals it to me. During this time, He has blessed me beyond measure. I experience great loss, pain and loneliness, but I KNOW He is with me every step of the way - and beyond. I often wonder how those that are lost even get through an hour of torment and tragedy without the Lord, and my heart breaks for them. And now He has brought me you and His writing/words/messages to me through you. Oh, I know He blesses others through you also, but He is my personal God and Savior so I take any of His messages as personally to me. I pray blessings upon you and your ministry, which I know will grow because I see Him in every word you write, and the love and devotion to Him by the feelings you put into your words. More importantly, your belief and faith in Him is remarkable. Please NEVER stop being obedient to God in sending us His words of comfort, support, hope and love. I thank Him every day for your work for His glory, and pray His mighty blessings on you.
It is refreshing to hear someone say they do not have all the answers, but we do know the ONE who does.
Thank you,Deb