Trust, Hope, and Gratitude

Tuesday, October 31st
Trust, Hope, and Gratitude
Anna Williams

When Pastor Todd asked us to write about how to suffer well, it hit close to home for me. So close in fact, that I wasn’t sure if I would be able to write about it. You see, the week before my daughter was suffering from waves of seizures that brought on severe headaches and blackouts. It was terrifying for us all, but she was fearful that they would end her life.  

“Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed,
“My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away
unless I drink it, your will be done.”
Matthew 26:42 NLT

At age 8, she has become aware of those around her, and she sees how different and difficult her life is compared to her peers. She is asking hard questions like “Is this disease going to take my life?” As a parent, you want to shield her from even having these thoughts, but you also know that it’s your job to equip her to process them. 

I told her that none of us know how long our lives will last on earth. We can’t control how much time we have; but we can control what we do with that time. When you read in the Gospels about the life of Jesus, he was so intentional in his use of time. He never wasted an opportunity to minister to those in need. He prayed often and remained continually in communication with the Father to gain wisdom on the best use of his time. 

I could never worship another god because he is the only God that loved us so much that he took our form so he could fully understand our pain and suffering. He knowingly submitted himself to it with trust in the Father and hope for the good results that would be brought out of it. Sometimes, we too are called to walk in this trust and hope amidst difficult circumstances.

In the darkest days, remembering the goodness of God acts as a soothing balm to your aching heart. It may begin as a simple mental checklist of the provision of your basic wants and needs but you find it quickly evolves into memories of the best days of your life. I love something that Michael J. Fox said in an interview when discussing his battle with Parkinson's disease. He said: “Gratitude makes optimism sustainable”.