"When God allows extraordinary trials for His people, He prepares extraordinary comforts for them." Corrie Ten Boom
I spent time this afternoon thinking about and praying for so many of my dear friends who are hurting right now for different reasons. You know, in the past 4 months, one friend lost her sweet, sweet mother. One friend had 2 miscarriages. One friend lost a baby late in her pregnancy, for the second time this year. One friend lost her baby late in pregnancy right after complications from in-utero surgery. I had a miscarriage and then emergency surgery for another miscarriage and tubal pregnancy combined. Those are just the ones that come to mind as I type this. It's been a HARD last few months. I was doing great too, early this week, and now I'm drifting back a bit. So many trials. So much sadness around us.
BUT ... there is hope. And I know where to find it. And thankfully each of the friends I mentioned above knows where to find it too and they've all turned to God since their own trials, although they have grieved and continue to grieve to this day. Loss, especially of a pregnancy or baby is so hard to understand. I never asked God why he took away three babies from me. I never hated God for allowing that to happen. But there was deep sadness about it. I don't understand it. I never will. How do you birth two healthy babies, then lose the next three?
Thankfully, God does not put us here to understand why things happen. He does not give us trials to understand. He gives them to us to pull us closer to Him and to rely on Him on a much deeper level than ever before. The sadness, the worry, the emotions of it all will still be there and don't take away from the faith in Him. He just asks us to trust in Him fully, without wavering. I struggle with that. I do. I'd totally be lying if I said that I fully trust His every move all the time and He was the first person I thought of when the doctor uttered the words "I'm sorry, you've miscarried." Selfishly, I thought of myself those times. When I heard the news of my each of my friends, I immediately grieved. I didn't praise Him. How do you praise Him when someone you loved or a baby you longed for is taken away? That's the hardest thing and I'm struggling with that a little today. To praise Him. To love Him. To honor Him. To trust Him. To think of Him above all others. To fully rely on His words, His actions, His comforts, His peace. It's definitely what I want to do. It's definitely where I want to be in my relationship with Him. Below are just a few of the many verses that I've been reading to help transform my thought process from where it is, to where He wants it to be. To fully rely on what His plan is for my life and for others. And what precious promises they are and what amazing, extraordinary comfort they provide.
{Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 1 Chron. 16:11}
{The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. Ps. 145:13-16}
{"For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13}
{"God has poured out his love into our hearts." Romans 5:5}
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