A good friend is going through a difficult time right now, having some tough issues with her teenaged son. She is such a dedicated mother, a hardworking, responsible, loving and caring person - it makes my heart hurt knowing how painful this must be for her.
One of the hardest parts about these kinds of rough patches in life is the fear of the unknown. We project our worst fears onto the future, seeing only that the bad times will escalate, that nothing will be resolved, and disaster will ensue and life will be irrevocably changed. We wonder how we'll have the strength, the wisdom, the patience to endure. In the thick of it, when the heart aches and the soul is sore, it's impossible to imagine how anything good can come of the situation.
Coincidentally, our minister spoke about this subject on Sunday. The "happily ever after" we all want for our lives doesn't come easily or right away, he cautioned. There are always bumps in the road, some bigger than others. It's hard to keep the faith, hard to believe that "all things work together for good," especially in the dark of night when sleep won't come and our thoughts are beset by fears of what might happen.
That's when we have to make the biggest leap of all and believe that on the other side of this fresh hell is a bright heaven, one that might completely surprise us, one that might be totally different from what we hoped for or dreamed about or planned upon.
But one that will be good if we let it.
That's what I believe will happen for my friend and her family. I'm keeping my eyes on that prize for her.
I'm keeping that faith. And I hope she can keep it too.
How about you? How have things worked together for good in your life?