Sometimes, the grief of the world is overwhelming.
As I scrolled through Facebook today, the image of a young girl, smiling and happy flashed across my screen. Unfortunately, I'd seen her face just a few hours ago when I received the Amber Alert announcing her disappearance. Her parents had been found murdered in their home, and she, a 13 year old child, is missing with no clues to who she might be with or where she might be. I stopped to pray for her. I pray for her well-being. That His mighty presence is known to her and that she can feel Him comforting her, wherever she might be. I am sad for her sorrow and for all that she's been through in just these few short hours. Further down, I see another video that catches my eye. A father, stricken with cancer, struggling to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. He stumbles and nearly falls, but persists and makes it to the alter. And now, it's all too much. The grief of the world has overwhelmed me, and the tears begin to fall. I feel this pit of devastation in my heart...I can never undo the sins that have been committed. I can never save my friends and family from pain they might feel because of the consequences of sin in this world. In fact, my sin, my inevitable sin, causes consequences of their own and hurts those I love. Breathe. I remind myself that I wasn't called to save the world; we already have our Savior. But still, sometimes it's unbearable to see the paths of pain and devastation that others walk in their lifetimes here on Earth. I think about Jesus on the cross...knowing fully, as God, the weight of the load he carried. To me, knowing the the pain of just a few is overwhelming, and yet our Lord knew the pain of all that had been and all that were yet to be. Every single person's grief was known to Him. To hold on to all of that while you walk on this earth...must have just been so difficult. What an amazing savior we had; one who knew the pain of all, yet managed to continue life day to day showing love, compassion, and understanding. Jesus never gave up on the world. He didn't see the world's problems as "too big" and stop trying to fix them. He loved. He showed love, he gave love, he was love. He loved so much that He sacrificed His human form, endured the pain, torture, humiliation, and execution because the grief of the world overwhelmed Him too. His death, His grace, His gift gives us a hope, a glimmer of light in a dark world, and it reminds us that we are all safe through Him. Even with that knowledge, though, it's still hard to see past shield of devastation blocking us from the light of the Lord. It's hard to explain that hope to someone who has just lost everything they've ever known. It's hard to find joy in a life after death, when you witness another whose life here is hell. Psalm 34:18 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. And let us be thankful for that, because even though I have a hope in heaven, it's hard to see past the grief of the sins of this world right now. Lord, be with Jayme. Please, God, bring her peace. Bring her comfort. Bring her home.
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Sadie JensenI'm a follower of Christ seeking to know Him and live like Him. If you'd like to learn more, read my blog post about my faith journey here. Archives
November 2018
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