The End of Undone and the Middle of Broken

Each one of us has been exposed to it on some level. There is no escape. Suffering is no respecter of persons. It's part of living. Whether it's unmet dreams, loneliness, crumbled marriages, death or illness. It's always an unwanted intruder. But all is not lost. It is often in walking through deep suffering that creates an emptiness that can only be filled by God and we find fullness of joy through receiving His grace. At the end of undone and in the middle of broken is forever changed. Nothing is wasted.

So where is God and what is He doing when all hell breaks loose. When bombs go off and babies die and churches build aquariums?

He is making all things new.

He sent Jesus to live on this earth, die and rise again to conquer sin and death. One day He will return and complete what He started to reconcile the world to Himself and if you are in Christ, you will reign with Him forever. We know how this is going to end. Jesus Christ will reign forever.

"To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever." Rev. 5:13

 Forever. That is longer than any pain I may experience on this earth.

Jesus showed up and walked right into the mess and met people there. He touched our wounds and shared in our suffering. "He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Isa 53:3 He is doing the same today. We don't cry alone. When we are trying to just hold on, He is holding us.

"For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ." 2 Cor. 1:5

"God is good even in the bleeding."-Matt Chandler

Lean in and look up, knowing that following Christ means to follow Him into suffering.

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him." Rom. 8:17

When someone is suffering, we want to walk circles around it in avoidance. There is someone you know right now. The neighbour down the street, the girl that serves you coffee, the boy in the pew across from you, the child across the globe, the girl on the corner. Closing our eyes to it because it makes us uncomfortable doesn't make it go away. And the person who is wounded cannot heal by staying numb to the pain, hiding behind walls and making pain invisible.

The heaviness of suffering wasn't meant to be carried alone.

The Body of Christ is never more beautiful than when it walks through suffering beside someone and meets people in the mess. Acknowledging the pain and encouraging them to keep moving, keep walking toward the finish line. To "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:14 The Body should be a safe place to wrestle and hurt. None of us are without broken and broken breaks us to our need to extend our arms to the world and point people to Jesus Christ, the healer of hurts and One who gives life.

The enemy tries to destroy our faith but pain, when brought to the feet of Jesus, can ignite a passion for Christ and clinging to the cross.

Many times we are searching for answers in the middle of pain when what we are really searching for is Someone. We want to know answers and God just wants us to know Him.

 I can't be anyone's savior, but I can hold someone's hand and point them to Jesus. I would rather have my hair singed from trying to  "snatch someone from the fire" and arrive in Heaven breathless than to hunker down in my own bubble wrapped world with an illusion of safety.

"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." Rom 5:3-5

My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and rightousness. Though every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. Keep walking toward Jesus my friends.  Victory is ours.

"Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children." Rev. 21:7