The Light is far away...but Visible!

It is difficult to admit that you are scared about something, or worried about a current situation, or even anxious about the impending future. Being a male in American culture makes it even more difficult to express these types of feelings, but sometimes our despair, dread, and concern is too much to bear alone.

I am reminded about the John, a seventeen year old straight "A" student, star of the foot ball team, and all around good kid! He had big hopes and big dreams...he was going off to college...someday he would have a great job...someday he would marry the girl of his dreams...someday he would hold his child close to his body and praise God for his blessings...someday never came. John was killed in an automobile accident. Only 17, with his whole life ahead of him; he left behind his 14 year old sister and 10 year old brother...he left behind a mom and a dad...he left behind a grandma and a grandpa...a church...a youth group...a graduating class that would never get to walk with their friend.

When I reflect on the despair of his mother and father, and the regret of his brother and sister for the fight they got into the night before about what to watch...he didn't even get to watch his favorite show...and now...now he's gone. I think about his girlfriend who had plans to follow him off to college. I can hear her thoughts: "why, God why?", I think of the mom and dad: "we gave our hearts and life to you and you take our son; why, God why?". I think of his school mates: "will I be next?".

Who can answer the questions of the broken hearted? Who can make sense of injustice, unfairness, and evil? Is there anything to explain such pain and evil? I am always the first to ask such questions...but I have found, along with those who have walked through tough times that sometimes there are no answers...only silence.

But I know God hears our cries, our worries, our concerns, our anxieties, our pain, our anger, our confusion...God hears, and although you might not feel it right now He is there with, beside, and all around you. Even when we let go from weariness, fatigue, and pain...He never does!

This song reminds me of that incredible truth: