He Cares
authors: Ana Romano and Hope Brake of Joy in the Mourning Ministries
For those that do not know Hope, she is getting married next month. This is, of course, a joyous occasion in her life filled with much anticipation! While this is an exciting time for her, she faced a long season of waiting. She had many doubts about God’s plan for her life and had many dreams for her future she thought may be out of reach without being married. Hope prayed for a really long time about clarity and direction. After years of not being in a relationship and not understanding why, she began to grieve the possible life plans she had made, but was still confident in trusting God in the process. Eventually, in His own timing, God brought Hope and Michael together. This circumstance, along with others, is a good reminder that grief comes in many forms surrounding a wide variety of circumstances, but often, when we look back, we can clearly see God’s work in our lives and see clear proof that He is Who is says He is; He is our Provider, Protector, and He cares. Here is what Hope has to say about this:
There is a song by War Within called “Crying Out.” In the song, it talks about how long will we be waiting for God's answer. The song is a plea towards God and it displays our brokness before Him. There have been plenty of times in my life where I wondered how long God would keep me me waiting. In those times I have had to realize God has a plan and is in control of all things. The timing may feel awful, yet God is still on the throne. Sometimes in seasons of grief, it can feel like God forgets us, yet God already knew what was going to happen and will carry us through every rocky road we have yet to conquer. In church yesterday morning, the pastor was talking how God uses even the worst circumstance for His perfect plan to be displayed. Romans 8:28 can be a great source of hope for us and a reminder that, in the waiting, Christ cares and is perfecting us.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
