Faith in Life's Darkest Storms

How do we respond to life's storms?

I've been thinking this week that while we may disdain a Prosperity Gospel in terms of monetary wealth, deep down many of us, especially here in the abundant land of the USA, hold on to a Prosperity Gospel in relation to the storms of our lives.

Because surely, if we are "Christian" enough, faithful enough, or strong enough, the unthinkable will not happen, or if it does, God will minimize any harm or heartache, right? (This erroneous belief has become a bit of a soapbox passion for me, as you may have read when I blogged in January about my 5 favorite words in the Bible and a life-changing book I read several years ago.)

I may be the only woman who was not familiar with Carol Kent, but I had not heard her testimony until Angela Hunt shared this video on her blog last week:




I can't even wrap my mind around such circumstances. And I found it interesting that the whole time I was watching, I realized I was waiting for the "deliverance." I thought that surely her son would have a lesser verdict, or a reduced sentence. After all, dynamic testimonies always have a dramatic miraculous element, right?! In her book When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances, Carol Kent addresses this in the chapter "But Where is the Lamb?," referring to God's provision of a ram in the thicket when he tested Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac. She writes:

The provision of a ram in the thicket seems to represent the answer to fervent prayers. . .or the predictable result of deep and abiding faith....But is true faith always dependent upon the provision of whatever the "lamb" represents to us? Is faith more powerful when the lamb appears - or can faith be even greater when the desired outcome doesn't happen?

As we lay our Isaac down without demanding that the thicket produce a ram, we will discover that our Jehovah-Jirah is the God who provides. He lays His heart over our heart and holds us tenderly, loving us as we trust Him for what we cannot see.

When a challenge rises up in our path, we who have had a long-term relationship with God may feel that our faith will surely conquer the challenge, even if we must wait and struggle for a while. but when we're confronted with an Isaac experience -- something far beyond where our faith has tread before -- we have the opportunity to learn what the essential nature of true Christian faith really is....I have found that the greatest power of faith lies not in how we think we might use it to conquer challenges we're sure a loving God would not put in our path, but in how we live -- with courage, passion, and purpose -- in the midst of unresolved, and sometimes immovable, obstacles.

I want that kind of faith. (I just don't want the opportunity to use it! LOL) And the result? There are many hard days still, her son remains in prison with requests for appeals and clemency denied. As Carol puts it, they remain "in the middle of our circumstances, which do not appear to be changing." There is no (earthly) "happily ever after" to their story. And yet their tears "are rebirthing faith, hope, and joy."

If Gene and I had never endured unthinkable circumstances, we might not have understood the pain of brokenness. If we had gotten our miracle easily and quickly, we wouldn't have experienced the needs of "the least of these" in our society. If there had been "a lamb in the thicket" for our family, we wouldn't have launched Speak Up for Hope. If life hadn't held unspeakable tragedy, we never would have been the recipients of such extravagant love.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone
And our defence is sure.

Before the hills in order stood
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God
To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past
Our hope for years to come;
Be Thou our guard while troubles last
And our eternal home.

Carol Kent has written a follow-up book detailing more of their journey: A New Kind of Normal: Hope-Filled Choices When Life Turns Upside Down.

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Standing Strong in the Storm

As I shared on Monday, life's storms often reveal what lies at the center of our beings: deadwood diguised by useless frippery or a strong faith connected to the eternal Source of strength.

I was recently touched by the testimony of two individuals whose circumstances could have resulted in their stumbling and falling, but who instead have had their faith proved genuine.

Mark Lowry is well-known for laughter and comedy. He's made several DVDs and has traveled widely. For a time he was a member of the Gaither Vocal Band, and he continues to be a part of the Gaither Homecoming Series.

But Mark's life is not all fun and laughter. He had a serious motorcycle accident in Houston a couple of years ago resulting in a good bit of knee/leg surgery and rehab. A few months earlier, in November 2005, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He's still performing and he was one of the presenters (and recipients!) at this year's Dove Awards. But he avoids long periods of walking.

I was so touched by his remarks on his website when he was diagnosed:

But, don't pray that God will heal me. Pray that His will will be done. If He wants me to go down this road, I wanna go! I'm sure there are diamonds to discover on the journey. And, if you pray that I'm healed and I am, I will miss the diamonds. So, I want whatever He wants. And as long as He's holding my hand, I'll be just fine.

I would gladly receive a healing. If it is the will of my Father. And, I will gladly walk through this life dragging these feet that have carried the gospel, if it is my Father's will.

I would rather walk through a valley with Him than stand on the mountain without Him. If He goes, I go. He'll be holding my hand, so what's to fear? And, besides, when I get to Heaven I will not have this opportunity. If I'm going to find diamonds on this road, it must be now.

I don't know about you, but healing would be at the top of my list! His words blessed me and reminded me that our trials often hide blessings that can only be found in that situation. His testimony gives new meaning to his song that I posted last Saturday. (From the newly released Homecoming DVD Rock of Ages)

I'll share one more absolutely incredible testimony Thursday. I have not been able to get this off my mind since I heard it.

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Deadwood

I've been thinking about storms. We went to bed last night to the rumble of thunder, a welcome sound in our parched community which has been baking in a heat wave. We continue to see triple digits most days; I don't even want to think what August will bring.

But I digress. This morning there is this fair-sized branch in our yard as a result of the overnight weather. Now my man knew this branch was dead and in fact, his reaction was "Good, the storm pruned the tree for me." But to my botanically-challenged eye, it was not apparent at first glance that the branch was dead.

You see, there was a vine that had been wending its way up the tree and around the branch. Lush, healthy, and green in spite of the drought, it sourrounds the branch and much of the tree with its foliage. (If you click on the picture, you'll be able to see it in even greater detail.)

I suspect it even played a role in the branch's demise.

As long as the sun shone, the tree appeared normal, even enhanced in its adornment. But the storm revealed its true inward condition.

What a vivid picture of human nature. We entwine all sorts of things around our lives and our souls, enhancing our appearance to those around us. In the eyes of the world, we appear healthy and beautiful. But slowly, those things are actually choking us and distancing us from the Source that provides us nourishment. The storm comes, our true nature is revealed, and we fall. Or, as I Peter 1:6-7 tells us, our faith is proved genuine and we stand strong.

I've come across a couple of vivid testimonies of this that I'll be sharing as the week goes on. Have a great Monday!

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