When something really terrible happens to you, here are two paths you can take. You can choose to blame God and hate Him for what He has done to you or you can lean on God and trust in His plan for You.
I totally understand how people choose the first path. When my daughter died, I immediately clung to my faith but that is not to say I didn’t stumble a bit or question things. I had moments where I was definitely angry with God and honestly, I felt very hurt that my God could let this happen to me.
The thing is, though, God doesn’t do bad things to us. He doesn’t let bad things happen to us. He simply has a bigger plan and sometimes we have to go through tough things for His plan to come to fruition. I know that the Lord was seeking me out at that time. He craved my love. He was reaching out to me. While some might think the Lord forsakes you in times of great strife, I KNOW that at that time, I was the closest I’ve ever been to God. He was hugging me as my daughter slipped away. He was holding me up as I walked out of the hospital. He was rubbing my back as I sobbed. I felt Him.
I choose every single day to trust the lord. When you choose the other path, the path that leads away from God, an interesting thing happens. You go further into grief, depression, and negative feelings. Satan is pleased with you and he feeds your anger. But when you choose to take the Lord’s hand and trust that he knows what’s best for you, you feel comfort, warmth, and hope.
People often tell me that I handle my grief so well and honestly, it’s all God. I chose to trust him completely and he filled my heart with joy. Truly. It is not a quick fix, an easy out, nor is it butterflies and rainbows everyday. It is a choice to follow the lord and to seek him. It is not always an easy choice, but His love is powerful. It helps me overcome my struggles and really gives me the joy I need to survive everyday.
Joy isn’t determined by what I have been through. Joy is fueled by faith.
Galatians 5:22 The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, and peace.
1 peter 1:8 Though you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy...
