None of us are immune to the burdens and pains of this life. Though we have a God who loves us, we all experience loss, hardship, and disappointment. And in the midst of it all, it might feel as though we’re all alone, with no one to understand us, no one to guide us, no one to let us know they’ve been there too.
Sometimes, in those seasons of life that ache beyond words, we just want to hear that it’s okay to not feel okay. We want to know we’re not alone in this chasm of loneliness we stand in. We want to be held by arms that bear the scars of similar wounds.
In our most vulnerable moments, we need more than pithy statements that attempt to assure us that all will be well. Instead, we need one another’s stories. Stories create a space for us to be — to be known, to be validated in our feelings and experiences, and to give us words to express what we might not have been able to say before.
We can find ourselves and God again in one another’s stories, opening the door to let hope come through once more.
We won’t be able to understand why hard things happen in this world or in our lives, and that is okay. We can sit in the tension of that reality together. And not only do our suffering and pain connect us together in our humanity, but they also connect us to Christ, who bore it all on the cross. He held the tension between heaven’s holiness and the world’s brokenness, and though we all long for resurrection, we have a God who stayed in the tomb — in darkness, in death, in time suspended — before He rose again on the third day.
And these are His words to us:
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NIV
From the introduction of Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life’s Not Okay by the (in)courage community.
We pray each story in this book is an open door of hope, to know that you’re not alone.
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Due to diabetes & glaucoma I have lost vision in one eye. A young friend has recently had an injury that has temporarily robbed her sight in 1 eye. As I empathized with her frustration at being 1 eyed I realized God has smoothed out the angst in me & brought me to acceptance. I can’t see as well as I used to. It limits some of my activity yet I am still able in others & I’m still serving & loving others. I’ve been given a great well of experience & first hand encouragement to pass to my friend & others facing vision issues even if theirs r temporary. God is good! Blessings (((0)))
Ruth, you are a gift and blessing! I hear the hope and truth of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 in your words:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
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We always appreciate you being here and reading, Janet.
“Burdens are lifted at Calvary” So true that song is in the door of hope. Our another song we can sing. “What a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and Griefs to bear” Songs like that can help us in difficult times. Plus get prayer for a trusted Christian or Friend and pray ourselves and stand on the promises in God word to. If we need help go to our Minster Paster or Salvation Army Officer for help and advice not being afraid to ask for it go see them as well. Plus doing as 1 Peter 5:7 tell us it is. “Casting all your care upon Him(being God) for he cares for us.” So God does care us at all time in the Happy Burdened and Sad. Thank you Incourage for today’s reading it really spoke to me. Keeping you all in prayer Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh N.Ireland xxx
Yes, what beautiful songs with timeless truths we need. Thank you, Dawn.
This spoke to me and how very beautifully written it is. The past year and a half have been difficult for me, with burdens sometimes too heavy to carry. A friend prayed for me the other day the very words you spoke in your devotional, “It’s ok to not be okay”. Somehow those words gave me hope and I believe have been one of the turning points out of my grief and self-pity. I depend fully on God and His Son, Jesus, the redeemer of my soul. He is the source of my strength, but I believe He puts people in front of us with similar stories to encourage us as you say. Thank you again for your words.
For years, I’ve been praying for God to heal the brokenness in our family. I have the faith of a mustard seed at times, but I hang on because my Lord Jesus, here’s my prayers and well someday in the land of the living heal what has been broken. May the blood of Jesus be poured over my family