Ranting: Conclusion

So I've ranted my way through the last two blogs. As you've read, I'm missing the opportunities I once had and the food I once ate. I have hopes that these days of ministry and meals will return, but in the meantime lessons abound. I don't want to miss a single lesson God wants to teach me along this journey.

As I've already stated, I'm very aware that I'm not alone in experiencing deprivation. It appears in many forms. The question for today is: What steps can we take as a positive response to not having what others have? To use a word picture from my previous blog, what do we do when the train has left the station and we're left standing alone on the platform?

A good place to start to is to simply admit to yourself that this is hard. Don't wallow in self-pity, but it is healthy to be able to look at a situation and know that this is tough stuff. Telling yourself "it is no big deal" can be dishonest and a quick route to denial. It's healthy to be able to say to yourself, "This is rough. This hurts."

Second, remind yourself that you are not the only one in a trial of this nature. Reflect on I Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation (also translated 'test') has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted (tested) beyond what you can bear…" Don't fall into the trap of believing that you've got it worse than anyone else. This is neither true nor helpful. There are others at the train station if you have eyes to see them.

Third, as I said earlier, something interesting happens in the human heart when we face a deprivation. Explore what is happening within you. Where does your loss (which is usually on the surface/circumstantial level) take your soul (which lies deep within you)? What heart-garbage is your crisis able to remove? What god is it seeking to dethrone? What positive character quality is it attempting to build? What past wound is it identifying? What lie have you come to believe that it is revealing? Suffering is an opportunity to grow. Some people waste this opportunity because they don't have the strength or courage to ask themselves the hard questions. In suffering, things are going on under the surface that are not present during good times. Grab some scuba gear and dive in.

Fourth, believe that God is good at redeeming these kinds of things. Deprivation and suffering become fertile fields for his work to flourish. He may not give us exactly what we want, but He's pretty incredible at making rainbows shine in very dark clouds.

I appreciate all the comments we receive on this blog, but #8 from "The Fine Art of Asking for Help" was especially meaningful as Pat noted, "All your experiences seem to be pebbles creating a path God is leading you on. Only He knows where it is going and His destination is precise." Great picture! Great truth! I'll admit that one has to look pretty hard for the rainbows sometimes--that the "pebble path" seems to dead end. But at this point faith arises and says with Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”--this may not be turning out as I expected, but I'm going to hang on to Him.

God doesn't waste our pain. He can redeem any situation, no matter how dark it may seem. This is who our God is.

Thanks for putting up with my rants. Thanks for walking this journey with me. Many of you have a difficult journey of your own. My heart goes out to you. I pray that these four points will be of help. May we together have the strength and courage to gain from our pain, grow from our trials and glorify our God every step of the way.

Walking on the Pebbles,
John