Life is hard.
The monotony of everyday routine can get us trapped inside a cycle of “just getting by.” The unexpected changes of life can cause fear in our hearts. The bad things that happen can keep us held down inside a prison of pain. It can be so easy to get caught up inside all the hard parts of life that we think there is no way out, or there is no beauty that could possibly come from the ashes. I know, because I felt this way only three years ago. Lots of changes were going on in my life at the time and it was a whirlwind of one thing right after another. And then we were told that my twin sister needed surgery. So many emotions flooded through my heart. Even now I can still remember the fear and the hurt—the questions of, “Why, Lord?” The explanations given by the oral surgeon were hard for me to process. My sister’s wisdom tooth had been pushed up underneath her eye due to a large cyst in her sinus cavity. Surgery was required to remove the tooth and cyst, but only after several months of a painful irrigation process. Throughout the process, my sister chose to trust God in the midst of her pain, in the midst of the uncertainty. She wrote an article that was published in several magazines, declaring her faith in God to work everything out. Yet I still wrestled with trusting God when I stood in front of that hospital building on October 8, 2013, holding onto my sister’s arm. This was my best friend, my other half, my twin sister. Why was this happening to her? God, where are You? Why did You let this happen? Looking back on that moment, I have to smile at my own foolish, untrusting heart. Did I really think I could have written things any better? Obviously, I could not have. For I did not see the whole picture. I did not see the miracle that was taking place right in the middle of the pain. I did not see yet the way my sister’s story impacted dozens of other girls that were encouraged by her testimony. I did not see yet the way my sister would receive letters from other girls, thanking her for inspiring them. But isn’t that how it is a lot of the time? When we’re right there in the middle of it—all the pain, the mundane, everyday life, the uncertainty, the suffering—it is so hard to see how any good could come out of it. How could there be healing in the loss of someone you loved? How could there be any hope in the midst of a lost job? How could there be any joy in the monotony of dishes and laundry? How could there be a miracle in the middle of the pain? But there is. I promise you that. There is a miracle in the pain, because we are not writing the story. The God who loves us and holds us through all of the pain, is writing a story so much more beautiful than we could’ve ever imagined. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NKJV) All things work for good. Maybe they don’t turn out how we wanted. Maybe they aren’t what we imagined or would have preferred. But they turn out good, because He is good. And His purpose for us is good. The story He is writing is good. And because of that, there is a miracle right in the middle of the pain you are facing today, whatever it is. Let’s purpose to search for it together, shall we? The miracle in the midst of the pain.
6 Comments
Olivia Bell
10/9/2016 05:25:13 pm
This was wonderful and encouraging, Bella! Thank you so much, I know a friend who would be really encouraged by this and I am going to send her the link! :D
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Bella Morganthal
10/9/2016 05:35:16 pm
Thank you, Livy!! That's wonderful! :D
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Bella Morganthal
10/10/2016 07:53:47 pm
Indeed! :)
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Grace
10/10/2016 04:26:38 pm
I understand what you mean because of my cancer treatment. God can turn ashes into beauty! We may not understand in the moment, but it's all just part of His divine plan!
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Bella Morganthal
10/10/2016 07:54:23 pm
Oh, yes, so true! What a beautiful testimony of God's goodness you are! :)
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