"I know your prayers ain't been answered yet,
but it's not over yet."
Song "Move (Keep Walkin')" by TobyMac
Sometimes the questions my grandchildren ask are so profound that
they take my breath away. They have a way of simplifying life that is soul-refreshing. When I am asked one of those questions that
comes straight from their heart, I stop for just a moment, pray and ask the Lord God Almighty how would He want me to answer this?
That happened on a recent vacation trip to Diamond Lake. It was
truly a family retreat with smores, fireworks on July 4th, making meals together, taking walks, and catching up with ourselves and each other. One of my grandchildren, or my "Grands" as my dear friend Jackie would say, started to ask me important questions, the kind that give you pause to think and ponder. I found, quite truthfully, that I kept thinking about what they asked and how I answered all week while we were up there.
And we, my grand and I, kept chatting about these hard questions, and new thoughts about them.We talked over dinner, breakfast, and walks around the lake... an ongoing dialogue if you will.
What were some of those questions?
* Nana, why does God let bad things happen to good people?
* Nana, when something awful happens, and your heart is broken,
how do you keep going?
*Nana, is it okay to be mad at God because my friend is dying?
Out of the mouths of babes, right? I told my dear Grand that when I
go to Heaven one day, I hope God will let me ask him those exact same questions.
Specifically, this grandchild had found me out on the dock, reading my Jesus Calling book, and weeping about my dear fried Vicky Westra. Not crying a few tears, but really allowing myself to feel the depths of her pain and the loss I will feel when she goes home to God. Tears for my beloved Bert who was so ill that we almost didn't come up to the lake at all. Two of the most wonderful people I know...both struggling, both believing in God's love and grace, and both putting their trust in Him.
So after taking a deep breath, and regaining a smidge of my composure, I took my Grand's hand and said a small prayer before I even tried to talk about these profound questions. In each case, I started by saying, "Honey, I don't really know how God works sometimes, or why hard things happen to me or people I love like Vicky and your Boppa. But what I do know for sure is that God loves me. He loves you. He loves Vicky and Boppa. He never leaves us, even when things are hard and awful."
Then, out of the corner of my memory, I remembered reading Julie Garmon's last blog post and the song she posted there. When we were back in the house I went over to a computer (someone was doing homework there :), and brought up TobyMac's song about "Movin' On, It Ain't Over Yet!" It talked all about broken hearts and wondering if God's promises apply to me and my life, to Vicky and Boppa's life, to all of our lives. Here's the link to that powerful song...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou-p_RDUbB4
While I don't know what challenges are on the horizon, this song is an upbeat reminder about trusting God and that no matter what, my job is to keep moving on and remembering that "It Ain't Over Yet!!"
No matter what challenges you may be facing right now, may you remember that God loves you, even in the hardest of hard times. He will never leave you or forsake you. He is there!
God Bless!
Love, Linda
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