Not Struggle THen god, but struggle and god

​I was messaging with a friend this morning who is doing mission work in South Africa. In addition to the challenge of the work in the mission field, she has some challenges going on back home. Her closing and encouraging words, not in spite of the challenges but because of them, were, "I have a good and faithful God, and so do you."

After reading her message an article popped up I wrote last year.

Oh God. Right on time. Always.

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One word I would use to describe the bible is storms.

In fact, I think one of the main purposes behind the bible is that that readers and believers come away embracing the reality of storms.

If you're someone who is looking to avoid storms in life, the bible is not your book. If you are someone who believes the path to joy is finding a flight pattern that goes around the storms, the bible is not your book.

The bible is a book about finding joy IN the storms, not outside of them.

At the heart of that is God's desire for joy to be discovered in relationship. In relationship with him and in relationship with one another. And think about it, when do we lean most heavily on relationships?

Not when you are driving your nice new car, but after you've crashed it.

If you read the bible, and you are reading about a character struggling, let me give it away, God's about to show up. Struggle is always a precursor to God showing up.

Which is why I believe so strongly in the bible. In my life, struggle is always a precursor to God showing up. It's been my life's pattern.

Struggle, God. Struggle, God. Struggle, God.

Lately, though, that pattern has shifted. It's a shift that's been life-changing. Because today, more than ever, I see my pattern as:

Struggle AND God.

Struggle isn't a messenger sent to tell me God is on the way. Struggle is God crying out I am here.

Struggle is not a warning sign to get ready for God. Struggle is the opportunity to cling to God.

Maybe that's because God has an important earthly lesson he wants us to take away from that. So much of our earthly unhappiness comes from hiding our struggles from one another. Trying to avoid them. When maybe we're supposed to use our struggles as an opportunity to openly cling to one another.

We will never do that if we see our struggles as the hurdle between you and me. We will never do that if we see struggles as something we have to get around on the way to you and me.

Struggles ARE you and me.

Struggles ARE me and God.

Struggles are what bind us, not divide us.

That's the biblical take, and there's an awful lot of research to suggest it's the earthly take as well.