When life is hard. Really hard

 

I am musing about...

When life is hard. Really hard.

There are dear ones who's lives are hard. There is no other way to put it.

At times, I think about those who live in third world countries, or in slums, or the ghetto, or crack houses. Those who were born into poverty and pain. Those involved in addiction, maybe trafficking, sickness, heartache and despair.

It is real. It sounds beyond hard. It breaks my heart. But not enough.

There are those who appear to have good lives in a middle or upper class situation. But their lives are  full of challenges, confusion and sadness.

There are those who things just do not seem to go well for. They suffer rejection and disapointment time and again.

There are those who find themselves reaching for things they know they should not to try to heal the hurt. Even those who have reached for the Great Physician and have come to know His love and grace, and still they succumb and fall. And the layers of hard deepen.

I recently listened to an audio book of "Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Suffereres" by Dane Ortlund. My biggest takeaway was that our Savior is filled with huge compassion and love and care when He sees His children hurting, sinning, in hard places. He who is highest and mightiest does not come down all high and mighty on those who are suffering. Rather, His heart is meek, lowly, filled with compassion, touched by their plight.

The Bible tells us that sin separates us from God. It does. He is holy and therefore sin is a separater from sensing His love and compassion, of basking in the joy of holy living which is where He lives.

But that does not mean that He is turning His back on them, running from them in disgust. Rather, His loving heart yearns for their humble reachout, their plea for help, their sincere repentant cries. He is there, waiting, ready and willing to enfold them once again in His loving, forgiving arms. To speak peace to their souls.

How He desires to pour His redeeming grace and overcoming power upon their lives, to help them find purpose, peace and joy.

And for those for whom this peace, this joy seems so elusive, for one reason or another, even in that reality, He understands. And He knows, that for His children, the day will come when it will elude them no more.

Our Savior sees those whose lives are seeped in the consequence of the fall. How His Father heart breaks when He sees those He loves, His creation, suffering, either due to the consequences of their own decisions or life situations that are beyond their control. And either way, our loving Savior is knowing their pain, He is hurting right along with them. Each moment.

For those who are living a life of hard and pain....

they may feel that no one understands.

Not their family members, their best friend, their neighbor, their co-worker, that spiritual blogger or podcaster. Not even their pastor or their counselor. 

Only One can truly understand and enter into the personal grief and pain that people find themselves in.

Only One has experienced the ultimate rejection, the ultimate pain, even the ultimate weight of the burden of sin. He who bore their sin. Your sin. My sin. He who gave His all, who left the glories of Heaven and entered this fallen world. He who even today, has a heart that can resonate with understanding because He has been there. He who knew no sin, came to know yours and mine on that cross. The cross that bridges the gap for each of us from this life to a life of eternal joy. 

When life gets, or stays hard....only One can truly sit with them in their pain and heartache,

and grant them deep comfort. Only One.

That One often sends other ones to help along the way. He may send you. Or me. May we try to be His hands and His feet. His shoulder for dear ones to cry on. His ears to hear their plight. But we so often find ourselves falling short, unable to give what they need, to the fullest. We can lovingly be there, like the bunny in that children's book who comes and just sits there. Like Job's friends. Before they started talking. But when it comes to knowing and helping someone deeply, thoroughly....

Only one can meet them exactly where they are at, understand every emotion, observe each trickling tear, understand every doubt, sense every fear. Only one knows them better then they know themselves. Cares for them in ways that exceed their greatest expectation. Waits for them. Kindly admonishes them. Provides for them. Makes a way for them. Made a way for you. Is there for them. Only One.

May we pray for them. Love them. Point them (but it is up to them)....to the Only One.

To Jesus!

That person in that very hard place may be you today. If it is, it is my prayer that sweet, gentle and lowly Jesus will be your comfort and stay. His love for you is more then you can know.

"Come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest for your souls."                                                                                                                                                     Matt. 11:28-29