Sorrow and Suffering: What We Don't See, Part 3

From my house to yours, we pray you enjoyed your Fourth of July and reflected on all the reasons we set this holiday aside each year...

For Bay and I, we enmeshed ourselves in family-doings, and had an opportunity to enjoy a celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary (such a sweet and meaningful evening). 

It never escapes me that the reason we are given these days off around the 4th have come to us at a high price. 

In fact, our freedoms, like many things we consider "free," are not free.

The cost was paid years ago through the sorrow and suffering of many who walked a road not one of us would wish to walk, but who saw the necessity of giving their all, that we would not have to do the same.

For their sorrow and suffering on my behalf, I am so very grateful!

XXXXX

A few weeks ago, I mentioned two impactful incidences that occurred while we served in Kenya that began a journey for me of processing through my own theology of suffering.

The things I didn't see amidst the experiences are what started to shape my theology the very most, and I mentioned two: 

1. The Lord uses EVERYTHING to point others to His Son, Jesus. We all need a Savior, and sometimes, hardships makes this need clearly evident, so that we might turn to Him for salvation. 

2.  The Lord is always present with us. He never leaves us or forsakes us; and, His faithful presence sustains us, even when we think we "can't," He CAN (& WILL)...

There is one more unseen lesson that surprised me...

As I have journeyed through different seasons of trial and come to the other side, what I began to notice occurred inside me.

Slowly and subtly, I changed. 

Not on the outside - nope! my appearance never changed; but, the transformation of character inside definitely shifted. 

After my friend's murder under the cover of darkness, on the side of a lonely road, in the midst of a country governed by the Kenyan shilling, I turned to the Lord and His Word for belief, comfort, peace, understanding, perspective, hope and joy.

Digging deep and leaning hard into both the Word and the Lord, I began to claw my way out of a dark pit of fear and onto the solid Rock bathed in Son-Light.

It wasn't two months later, when tragedy struck our campus again, this time at the home of another dear friend right on our campus.

As we awoke to another desperate phone call for help in the middle of the night, I saw a shift in me - - - just as before, I began to REACT in fear, then REMEMBERED the previous lessons the Lord had taught me through His Word, and, instead of REACTING, I RESPONDED differently.

Fear, unbelief, confusion got kicked out of the driver's seat, and peace, trust, and truth took over. 

Sometimes, what we don't see is how the Lord uses our suffering, sorrow, hardship, hurt, difficulty, despair, trials and tragedies to CHANGE US for GOOD (multiple meanings apply), and that brings Him glory. 

As I look back, while there have been many struggles I've gone through I would NEVER want to go through again, what I've learned is invaluable. 

These lessons are also the result of God's faithfulness to not leave me as I am, but to better me.

There have been truths imbedded in my soul that transform me more and more, little by little, into something I couldn't be, wouldn't be, shouldn't be unless the Lord used them to mold me more into His image. 

That's what I desire above all - to end my life looking more and more like my Savior...and, one day, when I reach heaven's gates, the old me looks a lot more like Jesus. 

#lifegoal