When's in Life

When I graduate from high school.

When I get married.

When I have children.

When my babies become teenagers.

When my teenagers leave the house.

When my children get married.

When my grandchildren come along.

When my spouse dies.

When, when, when.

We think of things that have not happened and then when they do – - - the WHEN comes.

Things happen in life, so it’s not IF but WHEN they take place.

How we choose to respond and deal with the WHEN’s that are thrown in our path is in direct proportion to how deep our relationship with God is and how we depend on Him to get us through.

We’ve all experienced many WHENs in our life, I know you could add your own to the short list I provided. We never lack things happening in our lives that we have wished for and those that we never even imagined.

Recently I experienced a family situation I thought would never happen, yet it did. Each time a WHEN has happened in my life it’s nothing like I imagined it would be. Life can be strange, and it makes me step back and reflect on the details in the circumstances. I have experienced a wide range of feelings in this current issue - anger, sadness, empathy, peace, agitation, confusion, hurt, forgiveness. As the situation has played out, I’ve expressed my perspective to those close to me and more feelings get stirred up which makes me want to blame others, rationalize, harbor resentments, justify behaviors, linger on the past – it goes on and on – I’m sure you can add to this list too.

BUT THEN GOD! I’m stopped in my thoughts and am firmly repositioned in my faith in God. He is the only one who can guide me and help me survive this WHEN situation.

God will never forsake me; He will lead me and guide me when I walk through the dark times. His Word is a light onto my path, and I know I will survive when I openly confess all my thoughts to Him. So was the case in the most recent WHEN event in my life, God gently reminded me of verses in the Bible that melted my heart and mended all the broken pieces of my tattered emotions.

When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.

 For I am the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:2-3 NLT

God’s Word is the healing balm for my soul. When I read it and allow the words to sink deep into my wound it rids the disease and cleans the infection that has festered. Only God’s Word can do that for me. It changes me from the inside out in ways that are difficult to explain. Yet, as I spend more time with God the rotten thoughts go away and His peace prevails in my life.

Reading and understanding the Bible has been challenging for me but I’ve gained so much from it and taking time to wait on God to begin the healing process. It works. So, I keep on reading and then the bitterness is washed away.

Here are more words I read in Isaiah 43 that bring hope to know God’s got my back. He takes care of me by mending my wounds with His Words….

You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,
    and understand that I alone am God.
There is no other God—
    there never has been, and there never will be.
 I, yes I, am the Lord,
    and there is no other Savior.

No one can undo what I have done.

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
    so my chosen people can be refreshed.

Portions from Isaiah 43: 10-20 NLT

God builds us up with His Word, it is a balm onto our open wounds WHEN life circumstances do not play out how we think.

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