The past few weeks have been a whirlwind! In the midst of it all, God has graciously provided me with moments for reflection, drawing me back into His comforting presence.
It all started the day after Christmas when I came down with a respiratory virus. There I was, hoping to enjoy the remainder of my Christmas vacation, but instead, I was confined to rest. I was grateful for the break, though I was hoping for a little more fun before life resumed its normal pace with the restart of school and routines.
Around this time, a family friend was struggling in the hospital with complications from surgery, separate from her ongoing battle with cancer and chemotherapy. The doctors were optimistic about her recovery, but, to our deep sorrow and surprise, she passed away unexpectedly last week. My heart went out to her family, whose world was suddenly turned upside down. Her children had to leave their own families to be by her side, disrupting their normal lives and were engulfed in grief. Her grandkids were now without their grandmother.
Then, just as my kids returned to school, and our routines seemed to be reclaiming their place, I was struck down by another virus, this time mirroring the flu. “How can this be?!” I asked the Lord with a bit of annoyance in my tone. I had just settled back into my routine! Yet, here I was again, back in bed, too exhausted even for television to pass the time.
I continued to let God know of my displeasure with my situation. But there I was and there I lay. It was during this downtime that an old friend came to mind, someone I hadn’t connected with in two or three years. I looked her up on Facebook, intending to reconnect, only to discover it was her birthday. But as I was about to leave a birthday message, I learned from a post by her son that she had passed away suddenly in November. She was only 51 years old.
This is life in a fallen world. My friend’s son, raised by a single mother who did her best in tough times, was now without his mom. Our family friend’s children lost their mother, and their kids lost their grandmother. And for me, I was simply waiting for two viruses who clearly had more strength than me to move on and find another host to bother. Life’s dynamics shift dramatically as we strive to find stable footing in the chaos.
These events, though they seem like obstacles to life, are actually part of life in a fallen world. Whether it’s our kids getting sick, a family member losing a job, or an accident disrupting our daily routine, these aren’t just hurdles in our path—they are a part of our earthly journey. We might not embrace these moments, but acceptance is necessary.
As John 16:33 reminds us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
One day, there will be no more sickness, death, or grief. No more frantic schedules or stress from life’s relentless pace. We will experience complete harmony. This hope, the promise of eternal peace and joy, is what we live for as believers. And the beautiful part of this undeserved gift is that we can also experience that right now.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27
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