By Pat
The past several years have been very trying for my family, and I know I am not alone in this. Many of my friends have also recently had some very difficult, stressful, and in some cases life-changing situations. And my mother, once vibrant and healthy, has had some serious health issues that continue daily, with no end in sight. We have all asked ourselves and God why... it just doesn't make sense. We can easily become discouraged. We want answers and resolutions. We seek the missing pieces of the puzzles that are our lives, forgetting that we are not the puzzle-makers. God is.
It's at these times we need to remember that no matter what it going on, God is in control. Always has been, always will be. We do not walk alone, and these times of turmoil can and should be used to draw closer to God. No one builds muscles by continually walking downhill. Personally speaking, it's through the deep struggles that I grow closer to God.
This life we lead and our reactions to the problems we face are what will determine our future in God's eternal kingdom. Instead of constantly trying to make sense of our circumstances, we should just accept that sometimes there IS no sense, and just use our struggles to become better children of God. Someday...someday it will all make sense, and it will all have been worth it!
"Therefore we do not lose hope. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.