By Shane Kastler
Anyone who is reading this knows that life often throws you unexpected events. Living 25 miles from the Louisiana Gulf Coast led to such an event for my family and I. When Hurricane Laura hit, our home took a direct hit, but in a strange way there was something comforting about it. After all, the radar told us days in advance that the storm was coming right at us, and that it was going to be a monster. With that type of advance notice, I was able to get my family to safety and let the chips fall where they may; so to speak. I could protect my wife from the hurricane. But I could not protect her from a heart attack.
My wife Erin, who evacuated to Oklahoma, suffered a heart attack two weeks after the storm hit. To say we were shocked would be an understatement. Erin has no problems with blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, or diabetes. She's the last person you would expect to suffer such a fate at the ripe old age of 44. But providence is what it is. Erin survived and is recovering, for which we are very thankful. Though sometimes the questions arise as to why so many trials seem to pile on at once. From a spiritual perspective, the answer is that God has ordained them for our good, regardless of whether or not we understand why. That doesn't necessarily make the trials any easier, but it does give proper context to the circumstances we are facing.
The fact is that all people, both Christians and Non-Christians, face hard times in life. The question is what do you do about the hard times? How do you respond? As Christians, we don't allow the circumstances to inform what we believe. Our faith informs us; and in so doing, our faith tells us that a sovereign God is in control and He ordains whatever comes to pass for His glory and our good. Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” And since we love God, and are called according to His purpose, we can rest assured that He has a plan. How much of that He reveals to us, is His department not ours. Our job is to trust Him.
If you are a Christian, then rest assured that your trials have a purpose. Even when you cannot make a lick of sense out of them, God is still at work and He is still orchestrating things with His ultimate cause in mind. Pray daily for the strength and patience to trust in Him; and then cautiously (and prayerfully) walk through life seeking His will and trusting in His grace. God's will always prevails in the end. And for the believer this is our greatest hope and comfort. May it be yours today as well.
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