What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

Good Friday afternoon, my friends.

This morning in my bedroom I listened to part of an interview Rumana Monzur gave to the CBC.  She is the BC student from Bangladesh who was attacked and blinded by her husband on a trip home to visit her daughter.  I have no personal experience that could compare to the pain and suffering, physical and mental, that she is enduring, so please do not think I am judging her or anyone else who has dealt with (or is dealing with) similar circumstances.  But it was her words that struck me.  She said something to the effect that she had wanted to do something with her life, that she wanted to accomplish something.  The implication is that she will no longer be able to do that. As I went down stairs immediately after hearing this, I walked into the kitchen and the radio there was playing Laura Story's song "Blessings" (if you are not familiar with it, I highly recommend you listen to it - just click on the link).  I use the lyics below as our prayer today.  I find the difference between these two outlooks really define what it is to trust in God. (Laura Story has faced some adversity too, which you can read about here.)

I think Ms Monzur's response is a very normal, human response, particularly "under the sun" which is a phrase Solomon uses in Ecclesiastes to mean "without God".  With God, we can (hopefully always) see there is a bigger picture; that we know these words are true: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the achings of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise

Laura Story

 

 

Bruce MacPherson

macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821

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