Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
I knew my mom had been in excruciating pain for the past year and a half. Her tongue cancer made it difficult for her to swallow. But until today when I saw how long it took for her to undergo radiation and chemo, I didn’t understand how much pain she really felt.
Sure, the lack of toilet paper, the constant mask-wearing, and the frequent boredom are irritating. But perhaps the deeper—and subtler—reason we hate COVID-19 is because it wasn’t part of our plan.
Dear students, where do I begin? The past several weeks have surely been stressful for you. But now isn’t the time to give into despair, isolate yourself, or mope around. Now is the time to press on, encourage others, and cling to Jesus.
Our relationship—or, rather, the fantasy of our relationship—became the thing I depended on. Not God’s real love for me. Not His real faithfulness to me. Not His real truth for me. I was overly dependent on a fake love, a fictitious faithfulness, and a false truth.
Even though Saul’s sin upset Samuel, God told Samuel it was time to stop grieving Saul’s sin. This is an incredible reminder for us that we aren’t meant to carry others’ sins (or the consequences) for them. Whether or not they've repented, they have to bear the consequences of their sins. You can’t bear those consequences for them.
So. Christmas isn’t what you expected this year. Instead of feeling happy, you feel unexpectedly upset. You’re not the only one who is facing a challenge this Christmas.
As a young adult, Christmas isn’t the same. Entering the Christmas season means I’ll be forced to face all of the difficult things that I don’t want to face. Who knew Christmas could be so ugly? Why have I—and perhaps we—transformed a wonderful holiday into a dreadful time of year?
I definitely don’t have a problem with being hopeful for the future. Rather, I have a problem with being patient in the present. But the present is where we are.
The message of this movie is clear: don’t give up hope and trust God’s plan. Even when tragedy hits. Even when the future is uncertain. Even when we don’t understand what He is doing. The power of prayer and surrender is a crucial aspect of this movie.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 