January 17 – He's here!

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

Life really can be a roller coaster with some seeming to get more than their share of the tough stuff. A young woman I was talking to – or perhaps I should say, listening to, the other day, is really going through a tough time and needed to talk about it. She is holding down three jobs; volunteering at the local school; caring for two young children with their needs and demands, along with their curricular activities, and the variable work shifts of her plumber partner and caring for their home. All this and caring for her mother Now it transpires she has done all this while enduring severe stomach pain and all the symptoms of Endometriosis. She never thinks of her own needs but has now been driven to seek medical tests – result? She urgently needs a hysterectomy. She was saying how troubled she feels - “how can I? I can't be laid up, it would mean letting so many people down.”

Despite our deep-seated – and very natural – desires for trouble-free, happy, secure existencies, Christians everywhere face family struggles, financial crises, debilitating diseases, and crushing disappointments. It's always something! Does that mean God isn't happy with us? Are these tough times punishmentfor sin or correction for misdeeds? Maybe. God does discipline His children when He wants to correct behaviour. But the reality is, because you're human you're going to struggle with tough stuff.

In the course of our 'normal' lives, so many demands are made of us that we sometimes feel we're going crazy. We try making a priority list of everything we have to do, then prioritizing our prioity list. We think it's all sorted, then out of the blue we're zapped by even more demands.

So, what do you do when life gets so tough you think you can't endure another minute? If you're feeling ...SANDWICHED between aging parents who need your help and the demanding schedules of your teenagers; STRETCHED beyond the limits at work, trying to survive the next round of corporate down-sizing: DAZED and emotionally bruised after your spouse walked out on the marriage you thought would last a life-time. 

Life is tough. If we're going to survive, we need our Father.

(Acknowledgements: Charles Swindoll, “Tough Stuff” 1995).

Episcopalian Bishop William Frey tells a story of his time at university in Colorado, USA (1951) – a long time ago, yes, but a perfect illustration of God's love and care for us. Every week William used to spend two hours reading to a fellow student, John, who was blind – the result of an accident as a teenager. When told he would never see again, John became angry and bitter. Giving up on life he blamed God and locked himself away in his room, emerging only at meal times.

William knew John to be an eager, avid learner. He asked John what had happened to bring him out of his depression and changed his attitude. In reply John told his story.

“One day, in desperation, my father came into my room and started giving me a lecture. He said he was tired of me feeling sorry for myself. He said that winter was coming, and it was my job to put up the storm windows. “You get those windows up by suppertime tonight, or else!!” he shouted before slamming the door on his way out. John was so angry he resolved to do it....he would show his Dad!

Muttering and cursing to himself John groped his way to the garage, found the windows, a stepladder, and all the necessary tools for the job. “They'll be sorry when I fall off the ladder and break my neck” he thought, but little by little groping his way around the house, John got the job done.

His eyes misted up as he told William, “I later discovered that at no time during the day had my father ever been more than four or five feet from my side.” Just as God is present with all of us when our days and lives get tough and rough.

In the conclusion of his book, 'Getting Through the Tough Stuff', Charles Swindoll writes: 'Getting through the tough stuff is neither quick nor easy. It's what makes life seem harsh and unfair, sometimes even impossible. But knowing that we have our Father near can be just enough can be just enough to keep us on our feet and able to take on whatever tomorrow may include. Since it's always something....the good news is this: He's always there'.

(Acknowledgements: Charles Swindoll, “Tough Stuff” 1995).  

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Today's music is “He is here (LIVE) Gaither Vocal Band.  Click on the picture to listen.