Women of Faith

Friday and Saturday I attended the Women of Faith conference with a few friends. My main hopes for the time were surpassed as I had a great break from mom and wife duties and spent time with other women.

In the wake of my dad's death, this has been a tough year. Dealing with the struggles that come my way has been painful and lonely and that's just the tip of the iceburg. This weekend I heard story after story of God at work in devastated lives. In the company of others who are wounded and hurting, but living in God's healing and hope, I felt less alone and more empowered to press on.

I'll end with a little of what I recently read from John Piper's "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God." I really could post the whole book, but you'll have to read it yourself.

"Honesty is able to feel the weight of things that arouse fear and dismay. The problem is not that we feel troubled by trouble and pained by pain. Something hurtful should hurt. The problem is that God slides away into irrelevance when we obsess over suffering or compulsively avoid it. God inhabits a vague afterthought—weightless and distant in comparison to something immediately pressing. Or, if God-words fill our minds and pour forth from our lips, it’s easy to make the “god” we cry out to someone who will magically make everything better if we can only catch his ear."

I am just now learning to be honest with myself, though not perfectly. I know the pain is designed to show me my need for the Healer. His grace is truly sufficient and is far bigger than I ever thought. I'm glad my eyes are more open and my heart is more primed to grow in the fullness of His grace.