My heart has been so heavy for the last few months. Life, sometimes is… hard. But God is so faithful to keep encouraging us with little “bursts” of blessings. Our Heavenly Father has also given us reminders along the way that where we are now is a valley, and as long as we keep moving towards Him, it is a temporary place. While we were on our way home from West Virginia, we caught a sermon from Charles Stanley* that absolutely gave me comfort and reassurance that were are still doing what the Lord has asked us to do. He said, “At no time does the good shepherd have anything but the BEST for you.”
He also gave me a new perspective on good old Psalm 23.
1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD
Forever.
I always thought of this passage as one that describes the transitions in life…the good times and the bad times, you know? But upon closer examination, I think this Psalm is describing all times in our lives. He(the Good Shepherd) is leading us there. He is helping us find still waters amidst troubled times, He is allowing us to sleep….even if we are in a valley. He is ALWAYS with us!
And now, I am so burdened for the people of Japan…that whole catastrophe has just increased the over-all heaviness of my heart. The images of entire communities being wiped from the face of the earth. Parents, not knowing where their children are, or if they are even alive. Children, orphaned. Families seeking shelter, food, warmth, with the threat of further quakes and nuclear disaster looming… it breaks my heart. I want to help! I want to DO something, but literally cannot do anything tangible. I have no money to give, I cannot board a plane and go help. And so, I do the one thing I can do, I pray for them. This morning, on Facebook my status read “Why do I always feel so helpless when all I CAN do is pray? I seem to forget who I’m talking to….” I need not forget that we do have a loving Father, that He created this world, and for His children He has nothing but the BEST in mind for us. So hard to understand in times like these, but we must trust that He knows what He is doing.
*If you want to hear the entire sermon by Charles Stanley click here, and select “January 31, 2011, The Valley Experiences in Our Live, part 1”