Have you ever been through something so very painful? Maybe it was a death, divorce, sickness, or just heartache from a situation. I am pretty sure that all of us at some point in our life can say we have been there. It’s always hard when you see your family hurting, but one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with was realizing our youngest daughter who is special needs required more help than we were able to give her.
It’s so very hard dealing with tough situations. I don’t know about you, but when things don’t make sense or are hard to understand, I can sometimes question, "Where are you God?" The answer I always come up with is He is right where he has always been – He is with me!
I was thinking this week about hard times as I have a few friends who are going through some hard situations. Here are some things I know about hard times as I have learned them first hand.
As I was writing this I was thinking about all the tears that we shed. We cry over our spouse, our children, our friends, sickness, hurts, fear and many many other reasons. But as I was thinking about all the things that cause me to cry I thought about Revelation 21:4. It says “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
There will come a time when, as believers, we will cry no more. This is a promise that can give us hope and strength. It will help us endure the hard painful times. It will allow us to pray and help others endure their hard painful times. This promise allows us to keep walking the road that God takes us on, whether easy or hard, painful or joyful. This promise gives us a glimpse of what God is preparing for us – no death, mourning, crying, or pain.
I have that hope and promise that God will wipe away every tear and exchange them for an eternity of joy because I am HIS child. Are you hurting? Are there painful things in your life that you are shedding tears over? There is One who can handle the hurt, give you peace through the pain, and track every tear you shed – God. Who are you walking with?
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. She is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.