Last month I was watching the Joplin memorial service and Rev. Aaron Brown’s words reminded me of a Truth we all need to remember for all times. He said, “Jesus never promised to protect us from the storms of life... What he did promise was simple and powerful - to be with us through the storms. The challenge is - will we let him?” Tragedy comes into our lives in many ways. Sometimes it’s through natural disaster.. Sometimes it’s with the death of someone close, a difficult diagnosis, even a traffic accident. The randomness of tragedy puzzles us. The unfairness leads us to cry out for justice. And then there are those who say, “Where is God in all of this?”
Never doubt that God is with us through all of life’s triumphs and defeats. We need to remember that it is our choice to let Jesus walk with us as we face the uncertainties of this world. It is our choice everyday to depend on Christ or ourselves. It is our choice to listen to our own voices or the voice of our God, who loves us more than we can ever imagine. My prayer for you is that when you are storm-tossed, Jesus is your first thought, not your last resort. I also pray that your days are blessed with good health, loving friends and unshakable faith. Grace and peace to you as we look forward to the summer months ahead and to our ministry together at Lebanon First UMC.
