Because Life is Hard

Brown paper bags lined the walkway to my front door. Food, toiletries, diapers, and gift cards overflowed. Our family was approaching a year without a paycheck, trying to keep our business afloat and avoid foreclosure on our home. But we were nearing the end of our rope. I begged God for clarity but heard nothing. I cried out, wondering how much longer this season would last, but answers weren’t coming. In the midst of this, my mother-inlaw was diagnosed with a brain tumor and given months to live.

But through some bags of groceries, God reminded me that He is greater than the circumstances we face. My circumstances do not determine my peace. The world can neither give us peace nor take it away. Life is hard. And it will probably get harder. Jesus said as much when He promised we’d have trials in this life (John 16:33). He wasn’t trying to scare us; He was trying to prepare us.

God knows our pain and He understands our problems. So we have to trust Him, even when we can’t trace Him. It’s during those times we must choose to fully lean into our Lord Jesus. It’s a choice. We can’t do life alone, but we can be there for each other. And maybe bring a bag of groceries too.

This is an excerpt from our 365-day A Moment to Breathe Devotional Journal.