Romans 8:28 (NIV): “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
In 2002 I fell and broke my skull. I was bleeding out of my ear. I remember asking God to take care of my wife and children as I just didn’t know if I would survive. Two years later I had an Army airborne accident and broke my pelvic ring. I didn’t realize how close to death I was as I experienced pain beyond anything else I had ever experienced.
As a result of those events, I questioned how God could take the pain and make it good. Still, I trusted. Years later, in 2013, my youngest daughter died in a single car accident when she was 21 years old. I’ve never felt such deep loss that continues to be a part of who I am to this day.
The above verse says that “in all things” God is working. Going through and experiencing the tough stuff of life demands a trust in a God who is on His throne and still loves me. I know that I may never fully understand the pain and the loss that I have experienced, but I do know that I continue to be “called according to his purpose.” For me, life is temporary. Pain is temporary. Death is temporary. I can make sense of this world because I trust in God and embrace the eternal and not the temporary.
When I look at 2020, I want to be honest with you. In spite of all the current challenges, I feel that I’ve been through other events in my life that allow me to simply realize that this year will pass. These events won’t last. Any challenges that I may be going through – because of viruses, because of societal divisions, because of any loss of my freedom – are all temporary. I choose to live in the eternal with a purpose aligned with my God.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You never promised me a life without challenges. I thank You that You have promised me a life with a purpose. Today, may I continue to embrace You as my Lord, my Savior, my Everything.
