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Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian writer and novelist who has a number of best selling books,including “The Alchemist” which sold 65 million copies. But in one of his writings he describes a boy asking “what is the world’s greatest lies?” The answer – “at a certain point in life,we lose control of what is happening to us ..and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lies”. That is accurate – the Christian faith says that God is in control of your life,and that He is guiding you each second. He loves you too much to leave you to fate,He is guiding you,taking the shattered dreams and making sense of it all.
Religion Profesor Jerry Sittser,member of an American Presbyterian church, is an author of several books. Back in September 1991,he was driving home in his family van with his wife,Mother and 4 children when a drunken driver speed across the centre of the road and crashed head onto his car. They were on an isolated road and no help came for one hour. His mother,wife,and 4 yr old daughter Diana Jane were killed instantly. For 4.5 years he struggled with this immense tragedy in the darkest days of his life. It was an overwhelming tragedy. Nobody could understand how this could have happened. He writes of his feelings “my experience did not invent suffering. I just joined the human race.” He asks why God allowed this to happen ..He had been married to his beloved wife for 20 years ..he thought he would go mad with grief,anger,and rage. He cried for 40 days and nights. After 5 years he was able to say “My life is good. But I still feel bad. I still cry. If I had the power I would bring these people back”. Years later Professor Sittser says “I have more perspective now. I have more confidence to endure. Never have I felt so broken; yet never have I been so whole”. He says in this wonderful book ..” I discovered in that moment that I had the power to choose the direction my life would head,even if the only choice open to me,at least initially,was to either run from the loss or to face it as best I could. Since I knew that darkness was inevitable and unavoidable,I decided from that point on to walk into the darkness rather than try to outrun it,to let my experience of loss take me on a journey wherever it would lead,and to allow myself to be transformed by my suffering rather than to think I could somehow avoid it.”
I am sure the verse from Psalm 34 says something powerful ..”The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
If you’re life has been shattered,can I encourage you to ask God “what now?”. We can share with Him our heartache and despair,and when the time is right,ask Him “what do you want me to do now,Lord?” And He will let you know – just give Him time. It will happen through another person,your circumstances,or through His Word the Bible. Have faith in Him. God is trustworthy. He can take the shattered experiences and work them for good in ways we can never see at the time.
We must place our faith,hope and trust in God our Father and in Christ our Lord,for ‘He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ Psalm 23:3 And then whatever path He leads us down,whatever storm He leads us through,even if our dreams for the future are shattered in the process,we will respond by clinging to,relying on,and trusting in Him,instead of responding with shock,confusion and anger.
John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled,trust in God,trust also in Me.”
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