Two of my boys and I were sitting at a light, the third car back, that day when a garbage truck took the corner too fast. It tipped up on two wheels and nearly fell over on us. I couldn’t react to move the car out of the way. Had the driver not been able to right the truck and be on his way, we would’ve been crushed.
Did we survive? Yes. Did God protect us and the others? Yes—absolutely. The initial event lasted how long? Five seconds, tops.
Then, why did my insides feel all wiggly for the rest of the day? It’s not because I questioned whether or not we were okay. I knew we were. Or, if God had been the One to protect us. I knew I had experienced a miracle firsthand. And, yet the after affect—the residue—of what happened lingered for hours. Even when I wasn’t thinking about the incident, my body remembered and would not stop shaking.
When I contemplated this the other day, I realized that God doesn’t just help us through the initial “stab-in-the-heart” situations of life. He will also be with us through all the aftermath, which can sometimes be the most challenging time of all. Crises are inevitable. No one is immune to bad things and challenges happening. And, they seem to present themselves at the most inopportune times.
Think about the woman whose husband died after 40 years of marriage. When the funeral is over and everyone goes home, she has to face a different way of living. What about six months down the road when the phone calls and visits from friends and family stop coming so frequently? Life goes on per usual for everyone else, but hers remains shattered. The Lord will provide her with the courage she needs to her live in new circumstances. He will never leave us to deal with anything alone.
I am convinced that Jesus has us firmly in His loving arms in the aftermath of life’s changes and traumatic situations—those things that send us reeling. He helps us deal with the everyday “stuff” as we pick up the pieces and get back to some kind of normalcy.
How do I know this is true? Because He’s done it for me and others around me over and over. I’ve watched people deal with incredible tragedies and losses and come out on the other side with a level of faith and perseverance that they never knew existed. Nothing that comes our way can separate us from Jesus or His help.
35 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? 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. 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. 39 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, 37-39, NLT)
So, if you find yourself struggling in any way, take heart. God will stay by your side and see you through by building your faith and filling you with His peace. May you feel His presence today.
©2013 Tammy Maseberg All Rights Reserved
