One family--a husband, wife, and three kids, were distraught after they received bad news, the kind no one wants to claim or even think about. Their future was unclear as the news settled in and took over their feelings, thoughts, words, and behavior. There are times the stuff of life is too hard, when all things seem impossible, when trouble and darkness moves into each feeling, thought, and word, when it's difficult to face another day or for that matter another moment. No one escapes these times on earth.
I've been there. Even as I'm writing this, I'm facing something that I'd rather not face. But. There's more to life than what we see in the moment. Its taken some years of life to learn it's not as much about what we face but how it's faced. My teachers of life are the ones who possess courage and grace under fire, trusting God to be present and at work, regardless of what they're facing.
Long ago, there was a song, Bridge Over Troubled Water, which was totally secular but always meant something more to those of us who were following Christ:
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down (Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel).
The words from the song echo the words of Christ.
Consider:
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1, NLT).
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16: 33, NIV).
The thing is . . . as we trust Christ, even when we're faced with problems, troubles, and pain . . . we're able to see He's the way through it. Trust is not always easy, especially when life seems to be out of control; however, trust makes us better and changes the way we face the stuff. When life gets tough, when darkness comes and pain invades our life, Christ has already took our part on, willingly becoming broken for our brokenness that we might be healed.
Christ is your Bridge over troubled waters and dark times . . . don't let your heart be troubled . . . trust Him to be your Light in the darkness, your strength in weakness, your peace in chaos, your hope in the hopelessness as you face it all, giving you courage and grace with confidence it's been overcome.
Learning to Kickstart the day trusting Christ,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
I've been there. Even as I'm writing this, I'm facing something that I'd rather not face. But. There's more to life than what we see in the moment. Its taken some years of life to learn it's not as much about what we face but how it's faced. My teachers of life are the ones who possess courage and grace under fire, trusting God to be present and at work, regardless of what they're facing.
Long ago, there was a song, Bridge Over Troubled Water, which was totally secular but always meant something more to those of us who were following Christ:
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down (Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel).
The words from the song echo the words of Christ.
Consider:
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1, NLT).
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16: 33, NIV).
The thing is . . . as we trust Christ, even when we're faced with problems, troubles, and pain . . . we're able to see He's the way through it. Trust is not always easy, especially when life seems to be out of control; however, trust makes us better and changes the way we face the stuff. When life gets tough, when darkness comes and pain invades our life, Christ has already took our part on, willingly becoming broken for our brokenness that we might be healed.
Christ is your Bridge over troubled waters and dark times . . . don't let your heart be troubled . . . trust Him to be your Light in the darkness, your strength in weakness, your peace in chaos, your hope in the hopelessness as you face it all, giving you courage and grace with confidence it's been overcome.
Learning to Kickstart the day trusting Christ,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)