Journeys Through Life as a Child of God "Learning Lessons of God's Love Through the Trials and Frustrations of Life"

Dear Fellow Children of God,

I was recently golfing with a friend who hit a number of bad shots. He exclaimed in frustration, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” Then he hit a really nice LONG putt which dropped in, then rolled out of the cup. ANOTHER instance of bad luck! Do you ever have days like that?

I want to share with you a string of frustrating experiences I faced last month while home for family holidays. On Tuesday, January 9, I drove north from our home to Ravine Lake, one of my favorites, to go ice fishing. When I got there a snow plow was working. I passed him up and tried to drive down the road toward the lake. But then my wheels started sinking in the snow. I talked to the man in the AT&T truck plowing the road. He was frustrated too. “I’ve gotten behind this year with all the snow, and I just haven’t been able to catch up. I have five properties to plow from here to Glennallen, and this pickup they gave me can only do so much. The road to the lake is not plowed.” I did not fish on Tuesday.

I did drive up on Wednesday with my snowmachine. My machine had worked well the previous 3-4 times I had started it. I even filled it with gas on the way up. But, after it started, it stopped. No matter what I did I could not get it to start again. (Even after putting it in the garage and warming it up that night I could not get my snow machine re-started. Darn!) So, I gave up and drove to Seventeen Mile Lake. Before going out on the lake I tried my auger. It had started on the first pull in the garage before I left. But, now it wouldn’t start. I think I might have had some bad gas and there was water in the line which froze. In frustration, I gave up and thought about night skiing at Skeetawk. I guess I had mis-read their web page, because when I arrived the gate was closed. So, I went home and cooked supper. Cooking was not my original plan.

I did get out to Seventeen Mile Lake without the snowmachine on Friday, January 12. I had started the auger in the garage, and it started again, on the first pull. This time my ice auger started at my truck before I walked across the lake. Yet, when I arrived at my fishing spot, walking through the snow and pulling my sled, the auger was less willing to start. I finally pulled the cord and the auger started, but the cord had broken, and then the auger stopped. I walked 600+ steps back to my truck (I counted them.) and worked for an hour on my auger and reattached my cord. I walked back to my fishing spot, 600 steps AGAIN, pulled the cord, and got the auger working, but when I pulled the throttle the throttle handle fell off!!!! I don’t know if I am stubborn, or just not very smart, but I manipulated the throttle with my fingers, and got two holes dug, and actually caught 13 fish, all of which I released. When I got home at the end of the day (I fished past sundown till 5:00 p.m.), I was BEAT! I guess I just don’t know when to stop.

So, let me ask you again, “Have YOU ever had one of those days? Or a series of days? Life in a sinful world is full of frustration. Worse than that, our lives are full of pain and suffering, evil and hatred, and death. What do we do when faced with life’s struggles?

Let me share with you the words of St. Paul from 2 Corinthians 1. “8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-10) As we read these words we can hear the trouble and frustration faced by Paul and his companions. They persevered and learned a lesson. Their lesson was “not to rely on the [themselves], but on God.” I don’t know about you. Sometimes I learn those lessons which Paul learned, but unfortunately, I often have to re-learn them!

The series of sermons I am preaching this year for mid-week Lenten worship services is entitled, “The Blessings of Suffering.” We will seek to look at the reality of the suffering in our lives caused by the sin in our world. But, we will also seek to rejoice that, even in times of suffering, God can and does bless us. It always amazes me that God used the worst that could happen in this life, the death of His Son, to accomplish the greatest gift of love, the salvation of the world. Remember the words of 2 Corinthians 1:10, 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”

Have you ever had one of those days? Were you able to rejoice as you learned lessons of God’s love for our lives? Rejoicing in times of suffering can seem impossible. But our loving Heavenly Father is so powerful, and so loving, that He even uses our trials for our blessings.

A Child of God, Learning Lessons of God’s Love Through the Trials and Frustrations of Life,

Pastor Jonathan