“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
-The Bible
relief.
The earth is full of beauty. Thousands of people simultaneously gasp while a scarlet ball of fire sinks below the horizon, casting purple, orange, and pink across the sky – while one little girl catches a glimpse of the bluest of blue, astonished at the discovery of six eggs cradled in a neatly built nest of mud and grass.
The earth has the ability to take our breath away.
But the earth is also full of misery – whether thousands watch as wildfires destroy a lifetime of memories or one watches at the bedside as cancer slowly takes their dying loved one.
The heavens echo with anger and pain being sent from earth to God – why? Why?
And the heavens return silence. But does it?
This morning, I watched the smiling, grateful faces responding to the relief of rain that fell upon a portion of the ashen western states.
Relief.
We don’t understand everything in life. How is it that the cold nights and dewy mornings are sufficient for life in the desert? How is it that two parts from two bodies meet and form human life? Every day we accept what we do not fully understand. Yet, when tragedy strikes we shake our fist at God. Can you imagine how many fists are raised to the heavens every day?
And like a loving, earthly father feels compassion for his crying child, God feels compassion for us. The child may not understand, may not receive what he wants – yet the father wipes away the tears and comforts.
Relief.
What are you going through? After you shake your fist or cry, will you see and be thankful for the relief that God brings in the midst of your sadness and loss?
hope.
How can you not have hope?
Only believe.
blame.
It’s natural to blame God for what went wrong. Go ahead. He’s got the shoulders for it.
But you know what I’ve found? His love is so strong for you that he will let you rant and rave and scream. He’ll let you sulk and be miserable.
Have you ever witnessed a child doing the same? Do you still love him or her? Do you have compassion for the child’s short-sightedness? Of course you do.
But then there comes a time to let it go and move on. But you can only do so if you want to. And God will prompt you in little ways – just like a parent would with a child. Only God is way better.
Way better.
trust.
You have to trust in something.
When our computer goes up we call someone who knows how to fix it. We trust the technician.
When our car breaks down we call someone who knows how to fix it. We trust the mechanic.
But for some reason, when things go wrong in our lives we don’t call the one who knows how to fix it. In fact, we do everything “but”.
God made you. He knows what works and what doesn’t. We are given the choice whether we believe that or not.
I can tell you for certainty, he knows how to help you. But it may take some patience on your part. It may take being teachable and willing to listen. It may take doing some things you don’t want to do.
And trust.
freedom.
Today we celebrate the birth of a free nation. Heated debates and fervent discussions were held in sweltering meeting places as our statesmen wrestled over the grueling decisions for America’s birth. Still others continued with courage and conviction for America to forge her path into the future.
Many, many have died for our freedom. Your heart may ache over the loved you lost who died – or the loved one who is suffering emotional or physical losses – to protect and defend our freedom.
Thank-you.
think.
How you think about things makes a big difference. We can see the glass half-full or half-empty.
Half-full isn’t just positive thinking. It’s hope. It’s believing that good can happen just as quickly as the bad happened.
It’s all in how you choose to see things.
Don’t allow cynicism to cloud your thinking. Or else your glass will be completely empty.
dreams.
You had dreams. But something happened to ruin things. And now you are discouraged.
Sometimes, it’s the choices of other people who ruin those dreams. We can’t control those choices. Some people just aren’t willing to think about others first. You may have tried to communicate your feelings to no avail.
It hurts.
Meanwhile, you have choices, too. You can choose to let those broken dreams make life bitter or you can choose to enjoy life. It’s up to you. Because there’s plenty in life to enjoy if you’re looking. And one thing I’ve learned about God is this: he always has another path for us when there’s a dead end on the one we were on.
And those dreams? You might be able to tuck them away and not give up on them just yet. The last chapter of your life has yet to be written.
big.
You don’t always have to be the bigger person.
I know, I know. In many of today’s Christian circles, you are encouraged to press in, march on, grab hold … be victorious; an over-comer!
… when people should be reaching out to you.
We can measure physical pain. We understand the process of healing. You can’t rush it. And everyone is different. Anyone who would tell someone with a broken hip to walk is stupid. Why do we tell people with a broken heart to walk? When a piece of their heart is missing?
It takes time for a broken heart and tired mind to heal. The worst thing someone can do is make a hurting person feel worse with our words and actions (or lack thereof).
I don’t believe that is God’s heart.
At all.
So if this is you, be released from people’s thoughtlessness. And let God be your comfort. He is the bigger person.
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how?
You’re not supposed to get hurt in church.
It’s supposed to be a place of acceptance and love. Yet far too often, pain comes from Christians.
Some of us are just complainers. But some of us are sincerely victims of unkind people.
There are no perfect Christians and there are no perfect churches. But I think we could do a lot better.
The message of the Gospel is love. All throughout the New Testament we see God relating to us with love and defining how we should relate to Him and each other with that same love – laying down your life, treating others the way you want to be treated, submitting, giving, serving, caring … sacrificial, unconditional love.
If you’ve been hurt, know that God sees it all.
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. -The Bible
Don’t give up on people or church. You be the love to others that you did not receive. And only when you really know God can you accomplish this.
when it hurts 