Once again Jesus is preparing his friends, the disciples, for what is about to come, but I find it comforting that along with all the terrible things that he tells them will happen he continues to reassure them that this will not be the end. He tells them each time that on the third day he will be raised back to life. I think how the disciples must have felt each time he would tell them what was going to happen to him, after all, they loved him tremendously, they loved him enough to leave everything behind and follow him. I am sure they were scared and didn’t fully comprehend the magnitude of the situation. It is much easier for us to already know the story and look at it from our perspective than to be in the midst of what was happening, but isn’t that how life is. When we are in the middle of a trial, no matter the degree, we don’t always see the full picture, we don’t understand why we have to be the ones to suffer, we don‘t see that God is going to give us beauty for ashes.
I think about the Jews during the Holocaust….did they really know the magnitude of what was taking place? Some may have, but I think most of them were just in the midst of this great suffering, I believe that most of them were simply trying to survive for themselves and their family. It is harder to see the whole situation when you are in the middle of it. So many times I have listened to stories of the survivors of the 911 attacks and they say I didn’t realize what all was going on, I was just trying to get out---they only saw their experience with no idea that our country was under attack. While the rest of us watched on television and knew to some degree what was happening, these people were just trying to get through the moment.
We have to hang on to that hope, that faith that we have in Christ when we are in the middle of a trial. We have to know that while it may hurt, it will be meant for good. With Christ we will rise up again and stand strong. So even in the midst of suffering, even when we don’t feel him beside us, even when we don’t hear his voice, we have to know that he is there, that is what faith is. Jesus’ life is the highest example of triumph over tragedy---to the world it may have looked as though everything was over on the day he hung upon that cross, but to God it was just the beginning. It was only through Jesus’ suffering that we have life, and what greater gift is that!
But I Thought of You
I almost threw my hands up today
I almost gave up
I thought this is just too much
This is just too hard
I can’t do all this
I want it to be easier
I almost threw my hands up today
I thought just forget it
If one more thing goes wrong
I just can’t do this anymore
I almost threw my hands up today
But then I thought of you
I thought of the words that I had spoken
Words that were given to me from you
“When you don’t feel like praising me, praise me
When you don’t feel like reading my word, read it
When you don’t feel like singing, sing”
So I did
And now I receive new words from you…
“For it is when you don’t feel like praising, that your praises mean the most to me
For it is when you don’t feel like embracing my word that it will penetrate your heart the
deepest
For it is when you don’t feel like singing that your song resonates throughout heaven
Your acknowledgement of me is what matters the most to me
Your dependence upon me will strengthen you
I love you and I want you
All of you
When you are hurt I want to hold you
I created you and I want to take care of you
Just trust me and not this world
This world will always let you down
I will always lift you up”
I almost threw my hands up today
But then I thought of you, Jesus
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