Focus on Jesus
Blessed is the one who perseveres under
trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of
life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12
Some seasons of life are just hard. It might be a wayward
child, a divorce, a job loss, an unexpected illness. It could be a wreck, a
fire, a season of unexpected bills. It could be the death of someone you love.
The storm crashes against us again and again and, some days, our faith seems so
weak.
It’s not about whether you will face a storm. We all
do. It’s about whether you have prepared your heart for its inevitability.
The Bible tells us to grow our roots deep in faith so
that we can withstand life’s trials. Some take heed and do just that. Others
merely skate along, with a naïve certainty that they can handle anything. They
believe that really bad things only happen to others. They assume a strength
that has never been tested.
Until it happens. Then you learn that waiting room
chairs are hard and the hours endless while a loved one fights for her life in
ICU. You learn the treasure of friends who just let you cry without trying to “fix”
what only God can repair. You learn the difference between a necessity and a
need. You learn the miracle of small steps forward, an extended hand, friends
who show up and help without being asked.
And you learn empathy and grace. You learn that you
can do everything right and still have your world fall apart without notice. You
learn that nothing on this earth is certain and that our only true anchor is Christ.
You come to understand the camaraderie of strangers
bound together by crisis. You learn medical terms and rehab techniques and how
to find and accept specialized help. And you learn that pride has no place when
you are in desperate need of a kind word or a flicker of hope.
There is no place as lonely as an ICU waiting room in
the middle of the night. There is no place as lonely as the first moments, the
first hours, in a house void of someone who will never come home again. There
is no place as lonely as the days of transition between what was and what now
is.
You learn the blessing of presence that some gift so
generously. You learn the blessing of faith as long-ago memorized verses come
to mind. You learn the truth that fertilized hope will carry you when the
darkness threatens to overwhelm you.
You persevere, taking one step and then another,
because you really have no choice. People say you are strong but the truth isn’t
so pretty. There is nothing to do but go forward because life doesn’t pause for
broken hearts, destroyed lives, shattered dreams.
You focus your eyes on Jesus, your anchor in what
seems to be the never-ending storm. The world tells you to move on, to forget,
to get over the past. Your heart wishes it was that easy. You take another step
toward Jesus, toward His patience and compassion.
And one day your heart feels a little lighter. Your
grief remains. What was will never be again. But you feel His Presence in a way
you never felt before. You smile up at Jesus and take another step toward home.
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