Caring and Able
The last week has felt so long and I think part of that is due to grief. The grief I feel impressed to share about this week is the kind that does not get talked about often; bearing grief for others. If you are anything like me, you have come to realize that the beauty in enduring hardships is gaining the ability to relate to others and care differently than those that have not had similar experiences. Although there are many circumstances where this may apply, I must share about a specific circumstance I encountered this week.
This week I interacted with someone I had not communicated with in months. As I reflect on the last half year of my own life, I am thankful to say I have seen much growth in many areas and can tell many stories of God’s provision and faithfulness, and can say with certainty that my walk with Him has continued to evolve and grow. As I began to listen as the other person shared how they have been, I could not help but be filled with mixed emotions of sadness and anger, but, with further thought, I think these emotions stem from grief.
This person shared certain hardships they have experienced. They shared certain lifestyle choices they are making. They shared emotional wounds they have been battling. They shared a lot of depth without a good perspective of hope. As they continued talking, I could not help but ache because of the lack of joy they are finding, but this is because I can relate. I have been to the point of everything seeming to be the lowest of lows, pointless, and stuck in a place of uncertainty with no way out. I had people around me who tried to encourage me, but it did not change how I felt at that time. I think the same is true for this person. No matter what I say, or anyone says, their feelings and circumstances may not change for a while. As someone who has experienced that difficulty, it is safe to say that it is okay to sit in hard times.
Maybe you relate to that. Maybe you are there right now. Maybe the pain of life or the pain of grief is so encompassing that you are having a hard time seeing hope or joy. Maybe your day to day feels like a game of merely trying to make it through without being a burden to others. Maybe it has been that way for so long that you feel and have accepted that there may never be a shift.
While I can not promise that you will ever return to whatever state of being you used to be, I can promise that your circumstances, no matter how difficult or ongoing, are shaping you and have the ability to grow you if you let God use them for that purpose. When I was in that lowest of lows place around 4 years ago, I read the book, “God Is Able,” by Priscilla Shirer. It is a short read and entirely based around Ephesians 3:20-21:
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
As Christians, we know, despite how we feel, that God is Who He says and He never changes. This book was a great reminder to me that God is able to do far more than we can ask or imagine. If you find yourself longing for the past, wishing for different circumstances, feeling defeated with loss of dreams that seem they will never come true, etcetera, find hope and encouragement in knowing He IS able to do FAR MORE than ALL we can ask or even think. He is able and He cares and hopefully that is enough for each day.
If you are not currently in that position, let us start by praising God for where He has us right now. But let us not stop there. Just as God is able and He cares, let us not neglect our responsibility to do what we can (with wisdom and discernment) and do our part to care for others well. This week, let us remind others as we remind ourselves that there is joy in the journey, joy in community, joy in the mourning, and joy in Him!
