I believe He wants us to get to know Him, so we can learn more about who He is and about His ways. I like this, because I want to understand God more. Obviously in many occasions I have to press on by faith, but it's really nice when my understanding of God broadens.
A few weeks ago a close relative delivered her baby at 28 weeks of gestation. This tiny 2 lbs human being now has to grow on the outside what she was supposed to have grown inside her mother's womb. As one might expect, preemies have the chances of having many complications and we have been praying everyday that God will maintain this baby safe in His arms and help her to grow healthy and strong. Everyday that we get to spend with her is an amazing blessing from our Heavenly Father.
Preemies have to go through all kinds of examinations and tests as well. At one time, the medical staff had to draw blood from her tiny veins and it was difficult to find a good vein. As they poked and probed, the baby started to cry, waving her little arms in discomfort. She's so tiny and has to go through so much already. Her mother stood by, with her hand resting in her baby's body and talking to her, as tears rolled down her own face. Later on this mother was telling me how difficult it was to see her baby in pain and not being able to do anything to relieve that pain. She wanted to get her baby out of that hospital, take her home, and say that everything was going to be ok. She could have, but she knew that if she took the baby out of there, things were not going to be ok. In fact, her baby's health and safety would be jeopardized if mom took her out of the hospital when she required so much care. So this mother let the nurses search more for a tiny vein to draw blood from while she comforted her crying baby, even as tears were rolling down her face.
I was thinking about this experience when I realized that God deals with us in the same way. Sometimes we are going through difficult experiences in life and we so want them to just end. We weren't created to suffer, so we don't like it when we suffer. We cry in pain and ask God to get us out of the difficult situation. But just as that mother with her baby, sometimes it's just not a good idea to calm the storm. And God won't do it because in the end it is for our own good. It's not that God can't. He can. It's just that He won't. He knows that we need to go through the painful experiences so we can grow and get stronger. If He removed us from the difficult experiences, we would end up hurting even more.
The amazing thing is that God won't leave us alone at the mercy of those who are inflicting pain. He stays right beside us, with His loving hands resting on us while tears roll down His own face. And with His loving voice and touch, He comforts us. And we can know we are OK, because we are in His hands.
Of course this does not apply to every single difficult experience in life, but I do know one thing: in all things, God can work things out for our good. Not only He can, but He will!
It's comforting to know that none of this suffering is wasted. We grow and get stronger and get closer to our Heavenly Father. And He'll continue His good work until it is completed!
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." Romans 8:28
"He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion." Philippians 1:6
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