Renewed by Leigh Powers

Author:Leigh Powers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: FaithWords
Published: 2017-11-21T05:00:00+00:00

FOR FURTHER CONTEMPLATION

How can God’s silence be an invitation to seek him? When have you experienced times of divine silence? What have you learned through those seasons? If you are currently walking through a season of feeling far from God, think of a fresh way you could seek him.

DAY TWENTY-TWO

LORD, FORGIVE ME FOR DOUBTING YOUR GOODNESS

Kids in caskets. It’s the part of ministry that never gets any easier. A rainy night, a carful of teens, a text, a moment of inattention—and suddenly lives are shattered. What do you say when there are no words?

God, sometimes I wonder what you’re doing. Two girls died at the scene. The third lingered on life support for days. We prayed. The church prayed. Teens packed our sanctuary to weep and pray; people held a candlelight vigil in the hospital parking lot. She was a good kid. They were all good kids. And yet it wasn’t enough. She died without ever regaining consciousness. We’ve seen you do miracles before. Why didn’t you do one this time?

Two funerals down, one to go. How do I help shepherd a family and a community through their grief when I’m grieving too? It’s not just the funeral—it’s the days and weeks ahead of looking into their eyes on birthdays and anniversaries; it’s graduation and prom and watching the rest of their class move on with their lives. It’s the weight of a whole lifetime of should-have-beens. How do I encourage their family and friends to trust in your goodness when I’ve got questions myself? Are you good, God? Really? Because this white casket with the spray of pink roses on top—this is not good.

Lord, remind me of who you are. Forgive me for my doubt. Give me courage to trust you in the dark, in the painful places, in places that don’t make sense. Give me the courage to cling tighter when I want to run and press in when I want to push you away. Help me accept that the “why” questions may never get answered. You have told me who you are. Let that be the only answer I need.

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