Where is God When There's No Happy Ending?
"You must suffer in order to be beautiful."
- Kara Tippetts
Kara reminded me of the truth in this statement last weekend as she shared her story. Kara is dying of cancer, but instead of viewing her cancer as an end to her story it has been the beginning of a new one that reveals the faithfulness of God even when there is no happy ending.
"All of us meet edges of life we didn't expect."
- Kara Tippetts
God never promised life wouldn't be hard but He promised He will be there and will take care of us. We live in a broken world that we will find trouble in, but the beauty of God's promise and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is that He can use our brokenness and He will redeem it.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
- 1 Peter 5:10
We think that God is always after our strengths, but what if, instead, He were to use our weaknesses? In my own story the greatest parts of my personal ministry have come out of my weaknesses. In our times of trial and tragedy if we look for God we will find Him. He was always there but sometimes it's hard to see how He is working. But, we can still find goodness in our brokenness. And when we do we have a testimony of His goodness that we can use to encourage others who may be struggling to see it in their own situations.
"God has taught me to be thankful in the midst of cancer…He has taught me gratitude in receiving the story that He has for me. And as He's brought cancer He's also brought this opportunity to share Jesus with more people than I ever expected in my life. So He has redeemed my broken and made it beautiful in ways that I never would have expected."
- Kara Tippetts
We need to ask ourselves if God is enough. When our worlds fall down around us and there is no happy ending in sight will God be enough? Kara's story reminds me that we cannot hold tightly to anything in this life or in this world. Instead of clenching our fists we must extend our hands with palms up and tell God that it's all in His hands; our lives are in His hands.
Hearing from Kara and her strength in the midst of brokenness left me with a feeling that life can throw what it wants my way because I have Jesus and He can make something beautiful out of the darkest of circumstances. I know it's one thing to say that in a time when everything is relatively okay in my life, but I look back at the hardest times in my own life and see how God brought me through and how the Lord strengthened me from those things and I know it is not unreasonable to feel that way.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
- Genesis 50:20
Joseph said this to his brothers who sold him into slavery out of jealousy, but Joseph came out of his suffering as an advisor to the king and saved the lives of many in the middle of a terrible famine. I think we can say this to our own troubles. Once we find God in the place that we're in we realize He can turn the situation that may be hurting into one that can also bring life, not just to ourselves but to others.
In listening to Kara talk about her cancer I was reminded of some painful memories of walking with my friend that passed away from cancer, but was also reminded of how God used those experiences to grow me. That time is one of vital importance to maturing my faith. It's a paradox that God could use one of my closest friends dying of cancer to make me more alive in Him, but that's what He does and that is why there is no power in the enemy or in the evil and broken things of this world. God works all things for our good. That is what makes Kara's ministry so powerful. She is dying of cancer but she is seeing God in the midst of it and is taking full advantage of the story He has given her to reach out to others and show them that death has no sting because of the power of Christ.
We're not going to understand everything that happens. A lot of the painful things we experience don't make sense to us, but faith is not understanding. Faith is trusting that God is in control in the things that don't make sense. Faith is surrendering it all to God in trust that He can work it out in a way that we don't currently see but is better than what we could have ever hoped for. God is redeeming and turning the ugly and broken into something beautiful.
In listening to Kara talk about her cancer I was reminded of some painful memories of walking with my friend that passed away from cancer, but was also reminded of how God used those experiences to grow me. That time is one of vital importance to maturing my faith. It's a paradox that God could use one of my closest friends dying of cancer to make me more alive in Him, but that's what He does and that is why there is no power in the enemy or in the evil and broken things of this world. God works all things for our good. That is what makes Kara's ministry so powerful. She is dying of cancer but she is seeing God in the midst of it and is taking full advantage of the story He has given her to reach out to others and show them that death has no sting because of the power of Christ.
"I have this breath to breathe. How am I going to live it faithfully?"
- Kara Tippetts
We're not going to understand everything that happens. A lot of the painful things we experience don't make sense to us, but faith is not understanding. Faith is trusting that God is in control in the things that don't make sense. Faith is surrendering it all to God in trust that He can work it out in a way that we don't currently see but is better than what we could have ever hoped for. God is redeeming and turning the ugly and broken into something beautiful.
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