Making Sense of the Senseless

Copyright Kristen Hatcher

I’ve got news for us. 

It’s not about us.

We all wonder why bad things enter our lives. A deep loss. A wayward child. A health crisis. A betrayal. 

We wonder if these trials are punishments. Judgment come home to roost. Just desserts for some long ago sin. And while God does judge unconfessed sin, there’s another reason trials drag their burning tentacles across our lives, and it has nothing to do with us. 

“If you are going to be used by God,” Oswald Chambers says,” he will take you through a multitude of experiences that are not meant for you at all. They are meant to make you useful in his hands and to enable you to understand what transpires in other souls . . .”

The Apostle Paul says it, too, ” Praise be to the God of all comfort . . . who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

I will never forget the day God used another suffering soul to minister grace to me. I was mourning. Not a physical death, but the death of a dream I had for one of my children. Overwhelmed by the reality of the situation, I couldn’t see past it into the hope of the future. When I shared my heartbreak with this kind soul, she reached out her gentle hand and ministered hope to me.

“Let me tell you about my son . . .” she said. And by sharing in the fellowship of my suffering, she comforted me. She had no answers to give other than the hope of God who loves our children more than we do, but by making herself vulnerable by sharing her story, she lifted the burden that seemed so overwhelming. She redeemed part of her suffering by entering into mine.

“For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows (2 Cor. 1:5).

In the months since that turning point, God has been faithful to speak words of truth into my life, answer my prayers in remarkable ways, and bring beauty from ashes. He has restored my hope and strengthened my faith. And he has shown me that it’s not about me.

Now it’s my turn to share the gift of hope with someone whose heart is hurting.

Will you join me?

Has God used someone else’s trials to strengthen your faith? I hope you’ll share your experience with someone else who's hurting. And you can bless the rest of us by leaving a comment below. If you’re reading by email, click here and scroll down to leave a comment.





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