Strength Training

 

There aren’t many things more beautiful and awe-inspiring than sitting in the Veteran’s Memorial at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, feeling the warm sun on my head, blue sky above me scattered with white clouds, listening to the water cascading in the fountains and the chimes echoing “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” out over the cemetery.

“Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way.”  How hard that is to pray.  Sometimes I think we sing these words so easily, never imagining what those words might actually mean for our own lives.  As we discussed in Bible Study on Sunday, following God’s direction for our lives does not promise an easy and smooth path.  A rough and challenging path does not mean we aren’t following God or hearing Him correctly.  It may mean we need to hold onto His hand more tightly and rely on Him more fully.  If the path God called us to was easy, we wouldn’t need God.  I’m not saying that God is sadistic and manipulative, making things challenging for us simply so we would need Him.  No, I believe that sometimes we need reminders that we can’t do it alone, sometimes our journey is an encouragement to others, and sometimes I believe it is strength training for a future journey. 

I hope this current journey is not strength training for a future journey.  I can say that what I learned in the twelve plus year journey from my brother’s industrial accident to his death and the grief journey afterward have definitely strengthened me and shaped how I have faced this current journey.  God knew that I would need strength, not just for myself, but Jaelyn as well.  I’m not saying that this was the purpose for Jason’s accident and death, but it was definitely one of the lessons learned and it definitely strengthened me for this journey. 

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