Soul Kitchen

This week a family needs to lay to rest their 2 year old son that drowned in the back pool while in South Africa. I went to school with the parents and have had them on my heart this past week and a half. When I hear stories like this it just doesn't seem fair when the life of a 2 year old is taken away. I have cried many tears for this family as they grieve and relive those moments of happiness and grief.

I was thinking about the phrase that we so commonly will say when in the midst of turmoil or tradegy.... "God doesn't give us more than we can handle." I thought of this phrase during this past week alot!

Nowhere in the Bible can I find those verses that support that saying. From everything I've been able to see we have misquoted I Corinthians 10:13. That passage reads: "And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear."

He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. Doesn't say that he doesn't give us more than we can bear. Big difference.

Through tradegy good can come. Through trials good can come. I think of the place where I'm at and know that there can come good from it. Sometimes I wish God would let me in on his view so I could know when it is that I am going to see the good. I know this wouldn't be best for me as I wouldn't grown like I would if I did know.

I think of this family who lost their 2 year old son. They wrote on their family blog the day he drowned in the pool and didn't blame themselves or say any negative thoughts which I honestly have to admit would be foremost in my mind if that happened to me. Instead they pointed their eyes to Jesus and wrote in such eloquent wording what it meant to be in Christ's embrace and feel carried. Each of the entries after that are pointed to God. Isn't that how it should be? How many lives they are touching through their grief... God has given them such incredible strength and what a testimony to others!

What trials and tradegy look like to each of us is different. Each of us is walking a different journey and we all respond to situations in life differently. We all grow differently and heal either longer or shorter than others. God did say there would be trouble and that our lives wouldn't be perfect:

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

How we respond to the troubles in our lives is important. Jesus has overcome so we can be free! Whatever it is you're going through, my prayer is that others can see Christ in you and that you can be a testimony of faith to others. I'm asking God for strength each day in this area. Praise Jesus that he died and rose again so I can be free! We don't need to carry our burdens on our own.