The Joyful Burden

Fourth, I was reminded that these lessons were not just for me. A few hours after the biopsy
results were returned to me, I was in a restaurant and a young man, whom I hadn't seen in a long
time, stopped by my table to say he was on the way home from a CAT scan of "suspicious lumps"
in his wife. He said they had given it to God. I sat there and thought, "Wait a minute, God. This is
not by chance. What do you want me to see?" The verse that instantly came to mind was 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. 1:4). I pulled out a blank sheet of paper that sat with my
biopsy reports. I wrote the wife a brief note including some Scripture and enclosed my phone
number. I understood only too well what was going on in their lives.
A few days later, God placed me with a young mother who had just lost her baby. Again I
reflected on God's choice of placing me with others who were on the "trusting path."
My path - our path - however difficult, is to bring God glory. Is this the true essence of trusting -
giving God glory? Was my situation a part of life so I would be a more yielded, pliable tool for
Him to use? Did it make me more sensitive of others and their needs? Is a part of my "path" to let
others see that?
So when you feel like you cannot trust, remember God understands your weaknesses - even
though you may feel foolish. Let the process of trust refine and purify your life of areas you know
God wants you to work on. Refocus on God and who He is - this will give you immense joy and
peace in the midst of struggle. Reach out to those He brings across your path.
Yes, life can change in a moment. But God is never caught off guard like we are. He never loses
control. So as we struggle through our heartaches and out-of-control moments, we need to throw
ourselves on Him continually, for however long it takes - and that is TRUST!
"When I am afraid, I will trust in you" (Ps. 56:3).
Pat Miller is married to Keith Miller, Chairman of the Pastoral Studies Dept of Calvary Bible
College. She is the Dean of Women at CBC. They have four children and two grandchildren.
The Burden of Grief
John Romanosky
I struggled with the boxes under the stairway once more. The annual display of holiday
decorations was here again. But this year it was different. Usually we eagerly anticipated the
Christmas season. Nora and I had developed family rituals over the years.
Karolyn, Kristin and Kevin would hang the ornaments engraved with their names. We would
read Luke's account of Jesus' birth before opening presents Christmas morning. Or we'd recall
the time we were looking at a crèche in a park. After carefully inspecting the figures of the wise
men, Karolyn, our oldest daughter, innocently asked Nora, "There's the wise men, where are the
foolish men?"
But this year 1986 was different. Our lives changed one tragic Saturday in June when our family
was involved in an automobile accident. Our two daughters were ejected from the car and
instantly went to be with the Lord.
It occurred at the end of a weeklong vacation in southern California. As Karolyn was going to be a
high school senior and was thinking about college, we decided to visit The Master's College. When
we were almost out of town, I ran a red light and we were hit by a van. Nora and I escaped with