How do you handle difficult seasons? Why do they happen? - Part 2 True or False

In today’s post, I’d like to continue discussing how we can handle difficult seasons. Our outlook and attitude makes all of the difference. 

Everyone, at some point in their life, faces difficult circumstances where they question if they will make it through their struggles. Loss of a loved one, depression, illness, illness of family members, cancer, divorce, financial difficulties…so many things.  Many popular phrases pop up when people are going through hard times. On the surface, they sound good, but I’ve internalized these statements and have developed my opinions about them. 

Ready to play Natalie's version of True or False?

1.       “Everything happens for a reason.”

- FALSE. Often, yes. But not always.

I think that phrase is bull that to make ourselves feel better. God does has a greater plan and purpose for our lives. Something greater than ourselves that we often don't understand. I don't believe that everything that happens is always the will of God. When we suffer, we get angry and ask, “Why God? Why? Why me?” Our human nature wants to believe that there is a reason for these things. We want answers. But, I don’t believe there always are. However, I do believe that God can use anything that happens for His purpose. He can transform our struggles and make blessings come out of them.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ... Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  – Romans 8:35, 38-39.

We don’t always get the answers we want from our prayers. Does that mean it’s “God’s will” that bad things happen? Does that mean He doesn’t hear our prayers or has left us? I don’t believe so. The love of God is always with us, even when we don’t see it or feel it. For believers, we have access to His power and provision. NOTHING is impossible for God. He can create blessings from our tragedies.  He can transform our pain to bless others by providing encouragement to others.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (Thank you Anne for that one!)

A blessing that has come from my being stuck in bed is that it’s allowed me to slow down and focus on my spiritual life. During our busy and happy times in life, it takes a commitment to do that. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t making much of an effort to do that before. Even though He never leaves us, it still takes effort on our part to seek Him. When we pray, we should also silently listen. Phrases and verses have popped into my head before when I’ve sat quietly. I can’t count how many times in my life I’ve sat in tears and begged God to help me. I would take out my Bible, open it wherever, and there would be a verse on that very page that spoke to me. And, I don’t mean just some random verse that would apply to anyone at any time. I mean a verse that was specific to my situation. A feeling of peace and calm would come over me and I knew it was God wrapping His arms around me. When things like that happen, it strengthens my faith and brings me closer to God.

In part 3 of How do you Handle Difficult Seasons, we will examine another "True or False" statement.

Follow up: I feel the need to share one of the recent situations about the random Bible plop open. There was a time when I was reading some things on a Facebook forum. People were saying scary things and were very negative towards the doctor who treats this disease. I began to have doubts. Normally, I don't read much of the old testament unless it's Psalms, Proverbs or Job. My random plop open verse was where I had stuck my prayer list in my Bible so I wouldn't lose it, and it was in the Old Testament. This is what it said: 

“And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, through briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them.”  Ezekial 2:6

That's the kind of situations I'm talking about. Out of how many pages and verses there are in the Bible, it was no "coincidence" that that verse was there. God has a message for me, reassuring me and erasing all of my doubts and fears. He reminded me that I am on the right path and not to question His plan that had already been revealed to me.