When life gets you down
When it rains, it pours! Each of us has moments in our lives where that phrase certainly applies, and my family recently went through one of these rough patches.
It started with the dreaded stomach bug. One by one, each of my three children got sick. As I cared for them, I knew it was only a matter of time before I got sick myself. Within a week of the kids being sick, I finally succumbed, too.
“We, as Christians, have hope in a God that cares for us in the good times and the bad.”
Adding to the misery in our home, we also received some really hard news about family members who are in a rough situation. It was just the cherry on the top of a downright awful week. It truly seemed like the “worst week ever” would NEVER end.
But guess what? It did end. My kids got better. I got better. (I’m still not sure how my husband was spared that awful stomach bug!) Our extended family’s situation, while not completely solved, improved. I am thankful that our little “rough patch” was actually very short lived.
We all go through seasons in life that are harder than others. It might be a stomach bug taking down your entire family. It might be a chronic illness. Cancer. A miscarriage. Divorce. Addiction. Fill in the blank.
Life is hard sometimes. But we, as Christians, have hope in a God that cares for us in the good times and the bad. Sometimes it’s hard to have faith and trust in His timing, but His plans are always better than our own plans. I love this encouraging passage from Isaiah:
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Is. 40:28-31)
I’m so glad we have a God who takes care of us. He gives us the strength to go on, even during those hard times. I’m also thankful that those hard times will eventually pass, like Psalm 30:5 tells us.
Sometimes a situation may not ever be completely fixed here on our earthly home, but we know that one day we will be in our heavenly home with no more tears or sadness. I want to leave you with one more of my favorite passages that has helped me through hard times:
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:12-13)
Katie Loveday is a church planting pastor's wife serving in Marlborough, Massachusetts. She is a mother of three young children and enjoys encouraging and ministering to women and other young moms like herself.