Life is a gift. I
think this is something we would agree with, but I am not sure that we fully
understand it all of the time. We have
the opportunity to learn and build, to try new things and succeed, to share
ourselves and love each other. These
joys make life fun, but they’re not the end of it. I believe that even the struggles are a
gift. Our trials and failures almost
make life worthwhile. They prove that
there are things worth fighting for, and make the successes even more
sweet. And I think that all of this
illustrates a God who intimately cares for us.
He desires joy for his children, but gives us the opportunity to learn
from the pain about needs that we have that cannot be filled aside from His
intervention. He is present—he is the
God of life—and His passion is walking alongside of us and guiding us through
our search for life here on earth.
By no means is this easy.
There is so much pain, so much brokenness that so often we find ourselves
utterly incapable of fighting. Our very
desires are at war against what we know is good and right. Our hearts are constantly breaking because
there’s something wrong with the life that we have here. It is incomplete, not because God is not
good, but because this is not the end. This
world is broken. Most of the time the
pains of life are almost tolerable, and the reality of the brokenness around us
can be pushed aside; however, there are moments of clarity where our need for
full life cannot be ignored. At these
times, we cannot help but be honest with ourselves, and God is there, too.
Death is a gift. Not
one to be taken, but one that is given at the right time, when our work is
done. After all, this world is broken
and incomplete. All of our striving
comes to nothing as things decay and we run out of strength, unless there is
some sort of renewal. As much as we try
to put our joy on display, we cannot ignore the reality that there is pain here
that we cannot outrun. Burdens only get
heavier, and our struggles pile on as we throw ourselves into more and more,
seeking reprieve. God wants us to be
with him, but no matter how hard we try, we will never trust Him
perfectly. We will always strive for
wholeness apart from Him, because this brokenness is the only reality that we
have ever known. Even if our lives are
full of good things, we are just not meant to run apart from the Lord of life
forever.
Our perspective right now is that this life is the end. That all of our goals and hopes for ourselves
need to be accomplished here, or we miss out.
Why do we find ourselves striving so hard for things that we are not
ready for, or do not really desire? Why
do we worry so much about missing out on experiences? We cannot see the full picture. We do not trust the Father’s goodness. We do not understand that all of these things
that we desire are meant to illustrate the characteristics of God, and that in
our rampant desire for things, we
really need Him. This world, as
wonderful as it may seem at times, is really a prison. It is padded, dressed up to seem livable, but
we are not free here. God gave us a time
to learn what we need here, to serve Him and love His people, and then to pass
on into His comfort and restoration.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under
heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die,
A time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal,
A time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
A time to embrace and a time to refrain,
A time to search and a time to throw away,
A time to tear and a time to mend,
A time to be silent and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate,
A time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
What I have been most challenged with recently is trusting
God to sustain me and make this life worthwhile. I am tired.
I have been striving to live with purpose, but I am still broken. I run the wrong way, knowing full well that
life is with Jesus, but wanting the quick satisfaction that the world promises
and never provides. I want to be known
and loved, but I am afraid of being passed over or let down. I want to make a difference, but I so often
feel like I am not needed—in the way, even.
These times of suffering force us to be honest with
ourselves. We want so much of life, but
we are faced with the truth that these things—our accomplishments,
relationships, possessions—do not solve the problem.
Our perspective is faulty, but if only we could see that
Jesus is what we seek. He is the life
that we so desire. He is the wholeness
that we try to portray. He is the one
worth striving for. He is the artist
behind the beauty that we are drawn to.
He is the one worth working for, serving, even sacrificing for. He is the only one that can really provide
rest. We have been given good desires
that point to who our Father is, and aching desires that show us how much we
need Him.
I believe that he is actively working in and through our
lives, and I trust His promise of the joys of this life and a future
restoration that will dwarf even the greatest joys that we will experience on
this earth!
