Hubby’s cousin and his wife have fostered and adopted children for many years. Their fostering experience has had the legal mandate that the child have periodic visits with the birth parent.
Whenever the mandated periodic visit would arrive, their precious little foster child would break down in tears and sob in the car all the way to being dropped off. It was utterly heart-wrenching!
Sometimes in life, even as an adult, we find ourselves in situations which feel very similar to the little foster child in the car.
In our moments of alone time we grab our box of tissues and we sob to our Heavenly Father: “God, I just can’t do this. God, please help me!”
And God, our loving Heavenly Father comforts our heart. And then, we get out there, and we head into the situation … again.
The past 6 months have been incredibly hard for hubby and me. We have been in a situation where it has been astonishing how awful we have been treated! To respond in anger is not an option. To “run away” (so to speak) is also not an option.
And so, like the little foster child in the car, we have braced ourselves … and persevered.
It’s interesting how when we go through intense seasons of hardship, we lose the ability to feel emotions. It’s the weirdest thing ever.
In times of intense hardship, our brain somehow blocks emotions so we can survive. We feel nothing … at all. Even when treated absolutely awful … there is no sadness, no anger, nothing. Absolutely nothing. I think it’s a survival mechanism God has given us to be able to survive intense periods of hardship and suffering.
I’ve heard that soldiers in battle who have been critically wounded, in the moment – in the heat of the battle – they feel no pain whatsoever. A few years ago I read the book, After the Fall, by Craig DeMartino. Craig fell from an insane height while rock climbing and should not have survived. Yet God spared his life. In recounting what happened, he described feeling no pain immediately after the fall.
The pain comes when the healing begins.
Today’s blog topic is: Love perseveres.
In mine and hubby’s life, our perseverance flows out of our love for Jesus Christ. Jesus has called us to this. We trust Jesus … completely!
Jesus is just. Jesus is faithful.
Jesus will make all things right … even the wrongdoings which cause sadness, heartache, and suffering. Jesus will take care of it. Jesus is Lord and judge of Heaven and Earth. Jesus will take care of it!
We trust Jesus … completely!
Jesus is faithful.
We trust that Jesus will be faithful to sustain us and help us through the hardship. We trust Jesus … completely! Therefore, we persevere. Our perseverance is an outworking of our trust.
Hubby and I have since made some changes and established some boundaries. We have taken steps to remove ourselves from the harsh abusive situation we were in. And slowly, emotions are starting to come back. We are feeling emotions of deep, profound sadness. The pain comes once the healing begins.
So, what do we do with the painful emotions??
Why must we feel painful emotions? Why can’t we just persevere without having to feel emotions? It seems that it would be easier to persevere if we didn’t feel any emotions.
I don’t know why God allows us to feel the pain along the way. All I know is God is good. He is using the pain to develop me. God is faithful. And so, I trust.
My God is working good for me … even though it feels painful right now. I trust. And therefore, I persevere.
Perseverance flows out of love.
Perseverance flows out of trust.
This can apply to marriage also. Hubby and I love each other, therefore our perseverance in marriage flows out of our love for each other. Likewise, hubby and I trust each other, therefore our perseverance in marriage flows out of our trust in each other.
Love trusts.
Love perseveres.
I love Jesus Christ … therefore I trust Jesus … therefore I persevere through the power and strength of Jesus Christ.
Because I love Jesus … I trust Jesus … therefore I persevere for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.
Love trusts.
Love perseveres.
