In recent months, we have heard from pastor Todd and others on a number of Sunday mornings about pain and suffering. The sermon series that Todd did was great, and you should listen to it if you haven’t already. Also, at the end of June, I was able to go on a women’s retreat. The theme of that retreat was ‘nothing wasted.’ Nothing wasted… not even pain and suffering, nor the complicated grief experienced in this life. We have also heard about how going through pain and suffering can feel more tolerable if we know that there is a purpose for it… Nothing wasted.
Pain hurts. Suffering is unpleasant, to say the least. Grief… Well, that can leave you feeling like there is no hope and like the sun will never shine again…
Yet, God says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (ESV, Isaiah 43:19).
God is in the business of making a way where there is no way. Like when Moses struck the rock and water flowed out. God made a river in the desert using a rock. Water is life giving. He used a hardened rock to give life. I bet none of those Israelites saw that coming. God is in the business of making a way where there seems to be no way. Hope.
God is in the details of life. The small, seemingly insignificant details of life. Wildernesses can be hard places to be. Deserts, those can be hard too. Yet, God is in the details; He is in the business of making a way.
This past spring was tough, and I didn’t get to plant as much as I would usually plant. I love flowers. That statement just doesn’t convey the feeling adequately. I LOVE flowers! I didn’t get to plant any flowers this past spring, specifically the zinnias that I always plant. They are annuals in our area and have to be replanted every year once the danger of the last frost has passed. Well, God planted them for me. That is the only reason for me finding a group of three small zinnia plants growing in my garden in June.
Fast forward to the later part of July. Life was particularly painful one morning, full of hurt and grief that left me gasping and grasping. My beautiful daughter called for me to look at something. She had stopped to look at the zinnias that God had grown. There on this lovely little plant grown from seed by my God, was a pretty little flower with a lovely heart shaped center. Now these flowers don’t usually have a heart shape. They are usually round circles, concentric circles. God grew for me a heart shaped zinnia flower that bloomed in that shape that particular morning when the pain felt like it might overwhelm. There it was. A flower just for me. It didn’t take away the pain, but it did remind me that God was in control. He is very much involved in the details of life. He loves each one of us so very much.
He will make a way in the wilderness. Hope.
God will never force the door open. He knocks and lets us know that He is always there, but He leaves it up to us to choose Him and to choose to open the door to Him. He is in the details gently coaxing me towards Him and encouraging me to choose to do life according to His will and His way.
I love feeling the presence of my God. It brings a peace that passes all understanding. It brings comfort that eases the pains of this life. What is it about His presence that really impacts me? His love. God’s love covers a multitude of sins, my sins. Hope. It covers other people’s sins. Nothing wasted. Hope.
God’s love was reflected in that little flower with its heart shaped center.
I may not understand the ‘why’ behind the pain and suffering, but I do know that God is in control and that He is in the details, even to the point of doing the new thing of growing a lovely little flower that bloomed with its heart shape on just the day that I needed to be reminded. God is in the details. God will make a way. God is doing a new thing. Hope. There is always hope with God. There will still be pain, but there will be hope. Beautiful and full of peace.
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (ESV, Isaiah 43:19).
Pain hurts. Suffering is unpleasant, to say the least. Grief… Well, that can leave you feeling like there is no hope and like the sun will never shine again…
Yet, God says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (ESV, Isaiah 43:19).
God is in the business of making a way where there is no way. Like when Moses struck the rock and water flowed out. God made a river in the desert using a rock. Water is life giving. He used a hardened rock to give life. I bet none of those Israelites saw that coming. God is in the business of making a way where there seems to be no way. Hope.
God is in the details of life. The small, seemingly insignificant details of life. Wildernesses can be hard places to be. Deserts, those can be hard too. Yet, God is in the details; He is in the business of making a way.
This past spring was tough, and I didn’t get to plant as much as I would usually plant. I love flowers. That statement just doesn’t convey the feeling adequately. I LOVE flowers! I didn’t get to plant any flowers this past spring, specifically the zinnias that I always plant. They are annuals in our area and have to be replanted every year once the danger of the last frost has passed. Well, God planted them for me. That is the only reason for me finding a group of three small zinnia plants growing in my garden in June.
Fast forward to the later part of July. Life was particularly painful one morning, full of hurt and grief that left me gasping and grasping. My beautiful daughter called for me to look at something. She had stopped to look at the zinnias that God had grown. There on this lovely little plant grown from seed by my God, was a pretty little flower with a lovely heart shaped center. Now these flowers don’t usually have a heart shape. They are usually round circles, concentric circles. God grew for me a heart shaped zinnia flower that bloomed in that shape that particular morning when the pain felt like it might overwhelm. There it was. A flower just for me. It didn’t take away the pain, but it did remind me that God was in control. He is very much involved in the details of life. He loves each one of us so very much.
He will make a way in the wilderness. Hope.
God will never force the door open. He knocks and lets us know that He is always there, but He leaves it up to us to choose Him and to choose to open the door to Him. He is in the details gently coaxing me towards Him and encouraging me to choose to do life according to His will and His way.
I love feeling the presence of my God. It brings a peace that passes all understanding. It brings comfort that eases the pains of this life. What is it about His presence that really impacts me? His love. God’s love covers a multitude of sins, my sins. Hope. It covers other people’s sins. Nothing wasted. Hope.
God’s love was reflected in that little flower with its heart shaped center.
I may not understand the ‘why’ behind the pain and suffering, but I do know that God is in control and that He is in the details, even to the point of doing the new thing of growing a lovely little flower that bloomed with its heart shape on just the day that I needed to be reminded. God is in the details. God will make a way. God is doing a new thing. Hope. There is always hope with God. There will still be pain, but there will be hope. Beautiful and full of peace.
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (ESV, Isaiah 43:19).
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