Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Isaiah 40:28-29

 

What an emotional mess I was! Another temporary downturn. One not unlike others that had been happening lately. Is it the process of aging with lifelong mental health problems in my background? It really is quite strange.

But by next morning I had pretty well recovered. Yes, these things can be very temporary. Recalling what had happened, I wrote in my journal: “Please help me, God! Why do such things have to happen to me?”

But then I thought, don’t all of us – all of us human beings – go through hard times? I know they do – quite bad things at times. And shouldn’t we accept that it’s all a part of life?

I imagine many of you reading this have some kind of pain you’re struggling with. Physical pain. Emotional pain. Loss of someone you loved. Disappointment with yourself or others. Or maybe it’s anguish over having a condition you have no power over – a condition that might be keeping you from a full life. Some of these bring shame, though undeserved. They cause distress that’s hard to understand for those who haven’t experienced it.

Unfortunately, hardship is all a part of life. But how good it is to know that God is with us in our pain and suffering! He hears when we cry out for help. Yet how often we forget, thinking we’re alone – alone with our struggles!

It’s amazing how bits and pieces of Scripture will dawn on us, just as we need them! As I considered the many of us who feel alone with our pain, my mind turned to the familiar questions from Isaiah:

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

Reading the passage I started this piece with, I found the comfort I needed. The Lord is the everlasting God. He understands, giving us strength when we’re weary. He helps us deal with all we need for our sickness and our pain.

If we could only reach beyond that pain that entangles us, keeping us stuck! If we could only accept him who reaches out to us – who cares – who understands! If we could only trust that God will be with us through it all.

God walks with us and will – if we let him – show that there are still good things in life. Because, despite everything, good things do remain. As one small example, have a look at the flowers at the top of this page. There are many more like them. ”The Creator of the ends of the earth” has laid much before us.

Open your eyes and see.

marja