The hard stuff
At church last Sunday, Pastor Ray taught a powerful message titled “All Things” where he focused on one key verse:
“And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose”
I’ve continued to reflect on this concept, and I hope the truth of it settles a little more deeply into my heart—and into yours as well. At one point he said, no matter what we go through in life, we all win.
We win.
Those who believe in Jesus and who’ve placed their trust in the finished work He accomplished on the cross—win.
That means that no matter the hardship, no matter the pain, God is steadily working it out for our good. I don’t know about you, but for me, knowing this brings a huge, sigh of relief.
It’s easy to put a smile on your face at church on Sunday. And it’s even easier to paint a rosy picture online of how wonderful life can be after divorce, but the truth is that life is hard for everyone in different ways. My struggles may not look like yours, yet I’m sure we’d discover many shared experiences and commonalities if we were sitting together over a cup of coffee.
Going through a divorce, marrying someone who’s also divorced, and co-parenting with our former spouses for the first decade of our marriage has been very difficult. And I’m sure they would say the same thing. And honestly, all of our kids would too.
It’s okay to ask God why things have to be the way they are when they’re hard. He can handle our questions, frustrations, and everything in-between. I often ask the Lord what He’s trying to teach me in all of this. I’m still not quite sure, but I’m certain its for something really good.
I’m so grateful for the reminder this week that God knows the ins and outs of my life, and somehow He continually goes before me to make sure every single piece of it is shaped into something good. And not just good — with God, it’s always deeply, wonderfully good.
How about you? Does the hard in this season leave you wondering if God still has a plan for you? Sweet friend—He does. He always does, even when the path feels unclear your days are heavy.