Waiting for a Blessing

Sometimes the storm comes unexpectedly, and the blessing you were waiting on has been tossed to and fro. After the rain sets in, your heart suddenly floods with questions. Questions that take your breath away. The suffering felt during the storm is often so overwhelming that all you can do is reach upward towards the giver of the rain itself. Watching the rain come down harder and harder, you see a glimpse of sunlight breaking through. Only for a moment though, does the ray of light peek out from behind the clouds. Wondering if the rain is pouring down to get your attention, you decide to keep watching. As you watch, you continue searching for the sun, hoping it will make its appearance soon. At last, the rain starts to trickle down from the sky, no longer a hard rain. Finally, the rain drops have stopped. You breathe a sigh of relief, only to find that your child is crying. You turn to face him, and swoop him up in your arms. He says he is sad because he wanted to dance and sing in the rain, and now the rain has disappeared. You tell him to look at the sunshine now, hoping he will smile. Instead, he peers through the window and prays for the rain to come again. The questions that flooded your heart are now silenced. As the sunshine beams through, your heart is filled with comfort, but at the same time, an ache for something more...

When you are in the midst of suffering, your eyes are often turned to Jesus. You go to Him with your doubts, fears, heartache, and tears. Sometimes though, you are so focused on when the suffering will end, that you miss the beauty of the rain. When the sunshine comes, you get distracted by the warmth and comfort it brings- it also makes you long for something more. The questions that came in like a flood, are now on a dry wasteland. The questions that moved you closer to the maker of the sun are now covered in so much light that they cannot be seen. Just like your child missed the rain, because he was unable to sing and dance out in it, so will you miss the dance you danced with Jesus during your suffering. Do not let the hope for a brighter tomorrow cause you to miss the grace that comes during your suffering. 

As followers of Christ, we are blessed when we suffer. Our hope is not hidden in the clouds during the storm. Christ is our hope that shines through the darkest day. Grace really does fall upon us
like rain. His grace is poured out as showers of blessing. 

Dancing with Jesus through the storm is what I hope and pray all of us women, (and men) will do when we face these struggles. As I have briefly mentioned before, several women I know who have suffered infertility and pregnancy loss have used their suffering to bless others. I have also been blessed by many of my patients who have suffered too. 

One day the storm will pass. That is not to say that there will not be another storm after that. 

Here is an excerpt from Pastor JD's sermon this past weekend at the Summit church, (he talks about suffering):

"...Peter assumed the Messiah would end all suffering for God’s people. • And this wasn’t without warrant—the OT repeatedly promised that a Messiah would come and end injustice, right all wrongs, end suffering...
o But there was also talk in the OT about a Servant God would send who would suffer... and who this Person would be was confusing to Jewish people
o but they never dreamed that the Suffering Servant and the Conquering Christ were the same Person.
So Peter, along with most Jews of his time, couldn’t conceive of a suffering Messiah...
Peter expresses the heart of Christian immaturity: Jesus Christ came so that I wouldn’t suffer.

• But Jesus said, “No, Peter, I’m not going to save you from suffering; I am going to save you through suffering.”
  o And I’m not going to stop your pain; I am going to redeem your pain, and give it meaning, and use it to bring life to yourself and the world...
• And Jesus tells Peter that until he understands this he should stop speaking for Jesus.
  o Vs 30: don’t tell anyone I’m the Christ until you understand this!

1. You have consumer faith if you expect Christ to remove all

hardship from your life

o “Get behind me, Satan! Peter, shut your mouth until you understand this.”
You see, many immature Christians still assume that salvation means that all suffering in your life will end, and if you suffer, God is somehow not keeping up his end of the deal.
But Jesus says, “Salvation doesn’t end the problems in your life; sometimes they intensify. My promise is that in these problems, I will be working to produce life.” 

When you find out that he may not remove every problem from your life, you go through a test, like Peter did:
Why are you following Jesus?
Are you following him because of what you think he can provide for you, or because you believe he is more valuable than life itself?
You see, all of us have certain expectations of Jesus. You don’t have the same expectations that Peter did: he believed the Messiah would overthrow Rome and give freedom to Israel. Most of you didn’t grow up dreaming of war with Rome (unless you’re a video gamer)...
but we grow up with a view of Jesus that corresponds with our consumeristic culture: We think of God who is part genie in a bottle, part therapist, life coach, personal cheerleader, financial advisor. A God who exists for your purposes; a Go at your beck and call.
What are you going to do when Jesus doesn’t fit your expectations?
It is going to be a moment of truth... Are you going to throw up your hands and walk away?

It doesn’t record this here, but one time when Jesus made statements like this one a lot of people quit following him—they were like, “Whoa, we were all about the healing and the blessing and the solid families, not the cross.”
• Jesus then turned to Peter and said, “Peter, are you going to leave also?” What Peter says is not inspiring. Peter throws up his hands and says, “Where else am I going to go?” You have the words of eternal life.” In other words, I am frustrated by you, but at the end of the day I’d rather have you and nothing else than anything without you.”
• Peter passed his test. Will you?• You will go through it! I see it all the time. The cancer doesn’t go in remission; the loved one dies; the marriage doesn’t get better; the kids don’t come back.
Peter thought of the Christ has someone who would make his life better. But now Jesus starts talking about willingly picking up a cross—this is not a completion of his life, but a forfeiture of his life.
The time it became clear to me... Not going well. Sacrifice.

• Is that the kind of picture you want to characterize your life? Is that what you were expecting when you came to Jesus?
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it best: “When Jesus bids a man to follow him, he bids him come and die.”
  What do you think Jesus’ purpose was in saving you? Many people assume that becoming a Christian just means cleaning up your life and in response you get God’s help and he takes you to heaven.

• Jesus said it means offering yourself without restriction to him;
offering up your life for the world the way that he did his. Have you ever offered yourself to God this way?" 

-JD Greear

When the rain falls, and the sunshine is nowhere in sight, do not let the sound of the storm stop you from speaking out. Infertility and pregnancy loss are often silent sorrows. Suffering in silence can be deafening. Reach out to someone you trust if you are suffering. Hope and grace are there- and you do not have to wait for the storm to pass before you meet them.

Perhaps the blessing we are waiting for whenever we are suffering from primary / secondary infertility or pregnancy loss is already here- the blessing of God's presence. 

In His Peace,

~Candace