Chapters

This might be an unpopular post, but the subject matter is something that is near to my heart. It has been expressed to me on various occasions over the years that I lead a blessed and apparent "trouble free" life; and, while I am a very open person - there is not much information about myself that I would withhold - be assured there are things that I keep very close to my heart. I will not be sharing those today because it is not prudent to let everyone read all the chapters of a life. What you can know is that there are chapters that are dark and very painful. There are chapters that I would rip out in a heartbeat if I were but given the chance. Some chapters I wouldn't even know how title. Some are confusing and the ending that presented itself doesn't quite seem to make sense. Some are still being written and some, some are but a flick of the pen away from beginning. Life is full of chapters, seasons, of time. The book I'm writing has so many pages filled with experiences that define, and often, it is the painful ones that define the most.

It is about these painful chapters, in particular, that I would like to share today. So very, very often I see social media posts, notes, cards that like to share condensed "wisdom" meant to inspire and encourage, but instead, I feel it desensitizes us to the truth. For example, "God will never give you more than you can handle" of course gives the individual the pride of being strong, at least in the opinion of the person who is doling out the encouragement; the statement also suggests that God is purposefully assigning the situation and, frankly, neither of these things are true. God does not say anywhere that you will not have more than you can handle in this life, and while he allows painful things to happen in this world, and in our lives, every situation should not be viewed as a direct test. Bad things happen. It just is.

Here are some of the things that God does say....

In this world you will have trouble... (Mark this well, readers. People will shoot people. People will abuse people. Floods. Hurricanes. Not a bed of roses. Trouble. A direct statement.)

But the good news....

I have overcome the world...
When you are broken hearted, I am close to you...
I am the Father who comforts you in all your troubles...

As the great emoter of our time, the one who might have inspired an emoji, my personal favorite is this one...

One day (Angela), I will wipe away every tear from your eyes.

I have some hard, very painful chapters that I will reread for the rest of my life, dear friends. I know that each of you has the same. Let's be real about it. Let's not give out cheap (false) lines. Let's be honest. Bad things happen. All around us. Multiple times per day. But as they happen, let's take a moment to go on the journey - with ourselves, our neighbors, our friends - that long, often ugly, journey of coping. Let's not put a bandaid of "God gives the hardest battles to his strongest soldiers" (Say what?!) and carry on. Let's share life. Let's try to help one another bring some closure to those tough chapters. Most importantly, let's share truth. Always.

There is no greater truth than this: God's heart is for you, especially during the hard times, dear reader, even if you believe not, and with the empathy God has gifted me, mine is too.